


It Was Only A Kiss

by nostalgic90s



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Drama & Romance, Drug Use, Eventual Smut, Heavy Drinking, Incest, M/M, Mind Games, Sexual Tension, Sibling Incest, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-21 14:48:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 53,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14917364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nostalgic90s/pseuds/nostalgic90s
Summary: Ian misses Mickey. Lip isn't doing good in college. Both Gallaghers take to drinking at the Alibi, resulting in Ian making a terrible mistake. Does Ian's actions ruin his relationship with his older brother? Or does it strengthen it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Coming out of my cage  
> And I've been doing just fine  
> Gotta gotta be down  
> Because I want it all  
> It started out with a kiss  
> How did it end up like this  
> It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss~
> 
> Gah, can't get that song out of my head. But it inspired me for the title and how I wanted to shape the first chapter.

The Alibi is packed, possibly beyond the legal limit. The sounds of laughter and music float down the streets, enough to catch a passerby’s attention. The dirty blonde, curly haired individual looked up and focused on the glass windows. Definitely packed. Definitely a party of some kind….

“Huh, wonder what they’re celebrating?” He mumbled to himself. It had to be a birthday because the drunken patrons were wearing those corny plastic hats with colorful streamers hanging down. Then again, the shenanigans that took place in the Alibi could warrant any unusual dress wear. He took a long drag of his cigarette and debated on going home or….

Two men barge through the front door while another is literally tossed onto the cold pavement. A big, brooding man steps out of the bar and balls up his fists. “No money. No alcohol. Get the fuck out of here!”

The man scrambles to his feet and races down the sidewalk to catch up with his friends.

“Oh! Hey what’s up Lip?” Kevin finally noticed the younger male hovering near the windows.

“Yo, what’s with the party inside? Somebody’s birthday?” Lip took a drag of his cigarette, blue eyes glancing from Kevin and then to the window.

“It’s Svetlana’s birthday! Me and V got a sitter for the girls and Yevgeny, so we could help her celebrate tonight. They’re both TRASHED! And Svetlana keeps yelling at me in Russian.” Kevin shook his head, he was slightly annoyed that he did end up babysitting one way or another. “Hey do you know Russian?”

“Uh, no, sorry man my Russian is rusty. I’m afraid I only know the swear words.” Lip finished his cigarette and flicked it onto the sidewalk before stepping on it.

“Yeah, so does Svetlana.” Kevin sighed and turned around to grab the door handle. “Oh Ian’s inside too if you were looking for him.”

Lip knew better then to go inside the bar and it wasn’t as though Kevin was pressuring him…. But the innocent remark had dire consequences. “Yeah, alright I’ll go check him out.”

“Now you’re talking!” Kevin grinned and he pulled the front door open.

Lip followed the taller man inside the bar. Right away he came face-to-face with a vast sea of drunks. Most were shouting and cheering for V and Svetlana to take belly shots off an overweight man, whom was lying on a table with his shirt unbuttoned. The unsightly belly fat and hairy chest made Lip shudder, obviously the two women were too drunk to notice. Lip leaned up on his tiptoes to search the crowd for his brother and he spotted him, the only redhead, at the corner of the room. Lip pushed past people and had to step around some that were dancing, sort of. “Hey beautiful can I buy you a drink?” Lip purposely spoke an octave lower when addressing his younger brother.

Ian had a beer in his hand and he was staring down at the tabletop with a solemn expression. Upon hearing the voice, he shook his head. “No thanks man, I’m not looking to-“ Ian trailed off when he lifted his hazel-green eyes and saw his brother smirking at him. “Lip?!” Ian set his beer down and he got up from the table. He raised his arms and embraced the other male.

The amused smirk never left and he reached up and hugged Ian back. “Got cha. Geez you must be in a bad mood if you wouldn’t let a random guy buy you a drink.”

Ian laughed and pulled back from the hug. “You know me, fuck em’ first then worry about drinks later.”

Lip chuckled and he motioned to the seats. “You alone?”

Ian sat back down and nodded. “Yeah uh, me and Trevor….well I’m not sure what’s going to happen now.”

“Ooh, you told him about Mickey huh?” Lip sat down across from Ian.

“Yeah, I feel like an asshole….” Ian looked down at the tabletop.

“You did ditch your boyfriend for your ex to go on a road trip across the country. I’d say that qualifies you as a big, fucking, asshole of a boyfriend.” Lip pulled out his pack of cigarettes.

“Sheesh, thanks that makes me feel a whole lot better.” Ian said sarcastically.

Using a lighter, Lip propped the cigarette into his mouth and lit it. He tucked the lighter back into his pocket before exhaling a cloud of smoke. “You’re a big boy, you don’t need me or anyone to tell you otherwise. You’re gonna feel like a piece of shit for a while but it’ll eventually pass.”

“What would you do? I mean…” Ian glanced at the cigarette. “If you were me?”

“I’d get shit faced like V and Svetlana over there.” Lip saw where Ian’s gaze was and he leaned over and held the cigarette out to his brother.

Ian took the offered cigarette and took a drag. “Yeah? Maybe I’ll do just that but…..are you sure you should be here Lip?”

“Yeah, I’m good….I haven’t had a drink in two weeks.” Lip shrugged but that was a bullshit lie, he drank a few nights ago and woke up in the subway train with no memory. Thankfully, he had his cellphone and wallet on him still.

“That’s good to hear.” Ian flicked the cigarette ash into a small plastic cup. “How’s everything going-“

“LIIIPPPPPPPP!” V stumbled forward with her arms outstretched.

Lip quickly turned in his seat to catch V. “Holy shit, you okay?” Lip was alarmed.

“Yeah I’m fiiiiiiiine honey.” V gripped Lip’s shoulders and pushed herself up onto her feet, although she swayed slightly. “It’s my wife’s birthday! Take a birthday shot with us Lip! We haven’t seen you in weeks.” V slapped her hand to Lip’s shoulder.

Ian glanced from V and then to Lip, paying close attention to Lip’s expression.

Lip felt a light wave of anxiety wash over him. He wanted to drink, oh God he fucking needed some alcohol in his life…. Things weren’t going too great with his new roommate, and some asshole stole most of his clothes last week. He was in a shitty situation but it wasn’t an excuse to drink…. “If you insist.” Lip grinned and he stood up from his chair. He held his arm out to V.

V linked her right arm with Lip’s left. “Such a gentleman. Come on Ian you too! Birthday shots WHOOO!!!”

Ian laughed and shook his head. “Alright I’m coming.”

“That’s what HE said.” Lip chimed in.

“HAH! That’s what he said! Omg you’re so funny!” V burst into a fit of giggles. 

Ian rolled his eyes and he got up from his seat to follow the two to the center of the floor where Svetlana was passing out shot glasses full of whiskey.

As soon as Svetlana spotted Ian and Lip, she shouted at them in Russian.

Lip and Ian couldn't tell if she was greeting them in a friendly manner or if she was cursing at them in anger; she was always shouting, didn't matter if it was English or Russian.

"Shots. You drink yeah?" Svetlana pushed two shot glasses into Lip's hand and two more into Ian's hand. "My birthday so we drink to me!" 

V raised her drink. "To Svetlana!"

Lip and Ian looked at each other with a grin. Both Gallaghers raised their drinks, "To Svetlana!" they shouted at the same time.

They all shoved their drinks together, clinking in unison. 

The bar stayed open well past 2:30AM, some people went home while others passed out underneath tables or in the bathrooms. Just a dozen people or so were still partying. 14 shots and 5 beers later, Lip Gallagher found himself dancing on top of the counter with Svetlana. 

"WOO work it!" V threw a handful of bills at the two.

Svetlana was moving her hips with the R & B song playing, and she purposely thrust her ass against the younger male's crotch.

Lip was enjoying this, he always found Svetlana attractive and holy shit she knew how to move her hips. Lip pushed his hips against that plump rear, he was dangerously close to developing a hard on. But that didn't happen because the alcohol had Lip seeing double. He misjudged the distance on the counter and took one too many steps to the side before falling off. 

Ian was sitting at a table and nursing a beer. Unlike his brother, Ian limited the amount of drinks he consumed. He had work in the afternoon and didn't want to go on shift with a hangover. He would've left a long time ago if it wasn't for Lip. He was pretty sure his brother blacked out hours ago, judging by his slurring and staggering. Ian watched as Lip stumbled off the counter and went crashing onto the floor head first. Ian laughed and he shook his head. "Okay I think that's our cue to leave." Ian stood up from his seat and he grabbed his and Lip's jacket off the chair. 

"Aww already?" V fake pouted.

"Yeah, I got work in 12 hours and I'm sure Lip has an early class." Ian walked over to where Lip was laying.

Lip groaned and he rolled over onto his back to stare up at Ian. "Fuck that hurt."

"I bet." Ian held out his hand.

Lip took it and he hoisted himself up onto his feet. "Wow...what's with the uneven floor?"

"That's just the alcohol. The floor is fine." Ian said and he slipped one sleeve of the jacket on Lip, followed by the other. Then he went around to the front and zipped the jacket up. "You should probably lean on me, unless you wanna fight the floor again."

"Man fuck this uneven floor." Lip raised his left arm and draped it over Ian's shoulders.

"Yeah fuck the floor, fuck the police!" Ian said with an amused smirk. He was going to tease Lip about this later. He wrapped his right arm around Lip's lower back to steady him. "Goodnight V and happy birthday Svetlana, thanks for the drinks."

Svetlana was sitting on the bar counter and she raised a bottle of Vodka when Ian addressed her. "Thank you freckled ginger boy." She added something in Russian.

Ian didn't know what was said in Russian but he nodded and then steered his brother towards the door.

The two brothers were walking down the street, slowly making their way back to the house.

"Man...fuck Mickey, and his sister Mandy. Fuck. Them. Both." Lip said, his voice rose with anger.

"Yeah man whatever you say." Ian rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious!" Lip turned to look at Ian. "Mickey's dumb ass choices landed him in prison. Then he expected you to wait for him all those years, only for him to make ANOTHER stupid mistake. He asked you to leave your family and home behind Ian. What kinda selfish prick DOES that?"

Ian didn't respond. His heart ached when he thought about Mickey. What Lip was saying was true, but that didn't mean he had to agree with it.

"And Mandy....fucking Mandy is as stupid as her brother." Lip's tone was bitter. 

Ian could sense something was bothering Lip, and he was using anger to cope. "Yeah, how'd we ever get mixed up with the Milkovich family?"

"Bad parenting." Lip said with a laugh.

Ian smiled, his brother was witty as ever, even when intoxicated.

They make it back to the house around 4:00AM. Ian unlocks the door and tries to get Lip inside as quietly as possible.

By now Lip was staggering badly and his eyelids drooped, he was ready to pass out. He mumbled a few incoherent slurs, nothing that made sense.

Ian half carried, and half dragged his older brother up the stairs. He guided him to his room and barely got him to the bed before Lip collapsed, with his upper body on the bed and his lower half on the floor. Ian sighed and he climbed onto the bed before gripping Lip by his arms. The redhead grunted and pulled the unconscious male further up onto the bed, until his feet dangled over the edge. Ian flopped down beside his brother, panting lightly from all the effort it took to haul Lip home. "Shit you're one heavy guy. Next time I'm leaving your drunk ass at the bar." Ian turned his head to look at Lip.

Lip was fast asleep, with his lips partially open and curls hanging loosely over his forehead. 

"....How is it you look like a fucking angel when you're sleeping?" Ian gave an exasperated sigh. 

Of course, Lip didn't respond to any of Ian's comments.

Ian found his gaze hovering on his brother's lips. He was surprised how plump and full they were, unlike Ian who was blessed with unfortunately thin lips. That was one of his favorite things about Mickey, his luscious pink lips...Oh how that mouth could do wonders. "Mickey...." Ian felt a weight on his chest. He was still focused on Lip's mouth, it really had the similar shape and color as Mickey's lips. 

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the loneliness. Maybe Ian missed Mickey Milkovich so much that he was able to blur out Lip's face and replace it with the raven-haired male that stole his heart and fled to Mexico. But what happened next was unexpected and guided by sheer impulse. 

Ian leaned closer and he tilted his head, closing the gap between his and Lip's mouth. 

They were softer then Ian expected and slightly chapped. Ian could taste alcohol and cigarettes, something that was so Lip Gallagher. It was oddly appealing. 

Ian pulled back slowly but he stopped when he saw Lip's eyes were open and staring right at him.

Oh fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian realizes he developed some very unhealthy and inappropriate feelings towards Lip Gallagher.

Hazel blue eyes stare into a pair of green. 

Ian swallows the nervous lump forming in his throat. "Lip-"

Lip suddenly leaned forward and he attacked Ian with an aggressive kiss. The older sibling slips his right hand behind Ian's head and he holds him in place. Eyes close and lips part.

Ian was startled by the action. Sheer panic fills his eyes. He tried to pull away but Lip's firm grip prevented him from doing so.

Lip tilted his head and he forced his tongue inside Ian's mouth. 

Ian made sounds of protest.

Lip raised his other hand and he gently placed it on Ian's right cheekbone.

Ian's heart is fluttering. To be honest, Lip was really good with his tongue... It doesn't come as a surprise, Lip was far more experienced. Ian relaxes slightly. He lets Lip slide that wet pink muscle around his mouth, tasting every inch of the redhead's warm mouth. Ian gave in to the sensation and he tilted his head, his lips matching those of his brother. 

The two continue the intense make-out session before Lip pulls back to breathe. When he does, he mumbles "Mandy..."

Ian's eyes widen when he heard the name.

Shit. Lip was really fucking wasted.

Ian took the opportunity to shove Lip away before climbing over him and getting off the bed.

Lip reached out and grabbed Ian by his wrist. "Wait...." It came out as a painful groan, as though he were sick.

Ian jerked his wrist away and left the bedroom. Right now the redhead can't be in the same room as Lip, not while he's blank mode. He ends up crashing on the couch downstairs but has trouble staying asleep. He cursed under his breath and gave up. He laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling, waiting patiently for the sun to rise. Ian tried to rationalize what just happened... It was definitely the alcohol that played a key role in the kiss, and maybe a little bit of lonliness. Ian regretted it instantly and he was ashamed for having taken advantage of his brother in his current state. The most exasperating thing about it all was that Ian actually enjoyed the kiss. He actually, fucking, liked his brother's tongue in his mouth. 

"The fuck is wrong with me?" Ian mumbled. He rolled over onto his side and curled up. He felt sick, both literally and figuratively. He prayed to whatever God was listening that his older brother wouldn't remember anything, that way, Ian could pretend like it never happened.

A few hours pass and Fiona is the first one up. She showers first and goes downstairs to make a full pot of coffee. "No Trevor?" She asks, when walking past the couch.

Ian sits slowly, there are thick dark circles under his eyes. "Nope, guess not." He gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen.

"Aww, you two get into a fight?" Fiona flips the switch and the coffee maker starts gurggling to life.

"Something like that. I dunno, I'll give him a few days to cool down." Ian leans against the counter.

"Oh. So YOU did something bad?" Fiona puts two slices of bread into the toaster.

"Uhh...yeah." Ian avoids her gaze.

Knowing her brother didn't want to talk about it, Fiona left it at that. "LIAM!" Fiona shouts and she looks directly up towards the ceiling. "Frank is gonna be here soon to walk you to school, hurry it up slow poke!"

There is movement upstairs, as though someone is getting ready.

"Heh....still can't believe that asshole actually did something good for his kids." Ian commented.

"Kid. Singular. Frank hasn't done shit for anyone else." Fiona corrected. When the toaster spits up the slightly burnt bread, Fiona begins to spread grape jelly on them. She hands one to Ian.

Ian takes the toast. "Thanks." He took a bite. "You look nice. Being a manager and business owner really suits you."

"Thank you!" Fiona beamed with pride. She took a bite of her toast and filled two coffee mugs. 

"Whatcha cook?" Debbie asked. She entered the kitchen in her pajamas with her baby in her arms.

"Nothing, just toast. We're out of eggs and milk." Fiona reaches into her pocket and holds out a $10 dollar bill. 

"Okay I'll grab some today." Debbie takes the money.

"Franny!" Ian held out his arms.

Debbie passed her infant to Ian. "I'm gonna shower, watch her for a minute?" Debbie asked.

"Sure." Ian cooed and kissed the baby on her forehead. "Franny, Franny, could I call ya Sandy?" Ian was singing.

Debbie smiled and rolled her eyes. She took off back upstairs to shower up.

"Here." Fiona held Ian's coffee out to him.

Ian shifted Franny into hs left arm and he took the ceramic mug. He took a drink and sighed with content afterwards. "God that's amazing."

"Mmm what are you cooking?" Said a tired Lip Gallagher. He was standing in the kitchen entryway with just a pair of trunks on and his socks. 

"Just toast, we don't have any breakfast meats. I'll try to pick something up today after work." Fiona said.

Ian tried not to stare at Lip. He still felt a little weird about what happened earlier...

Lip saw Franny and he grinned. "Hey there cutie." He walked over and he reached up and put his hand on Ian's shoulder. Then he leaned down and planted a kiss on Franny's chubby cheek.

The baby cooed and grabbed one of Lip's curls.

"Ah!! Franny no, Franny let go." Lip reached up to pry her hand off his hair.

Ian's heart was fluttering. He could feel the heat radiating off of Lip's bare chest. He was so close...Ian could smell Lip and instead of smelling like a hangover, he smelled like sweat and cigarettes. Odd combination but pleasant to the redhead. He was almost tempted to lean over and smell Lip's hair but he refrained. 

After getting his hair free, Lip went over and poured himself a cup of coffee. 

"What time are your classes today? Do you need money for the subway train?" Fiona inquired.

"Naa I got it covered sis, thanks. No classes till the afternoon, I got plenty of time to shower up and catch the metro." Lip poured creamer and sugar into his coffee before stirring and then drinking. 

"Shit, I'm gonna be late. See you two later." Fiona drank her coffee up quickly and set it down. 

"Seeya." Ian and Lip said at the same time.

Fiona walked over and kissed Franny on the forehead. Then she grabbed her purse and jacket before heading out the front door. 

"So uh, what happened last night?" Lip glanced at Ian. "Last thing I remember is singing happy birthday to Svetlana." 

"No shit? You blacked out pretty early then." Ian said. He focused on Franny and played with the little tufts of hair she had. "You did some stripper dance moves with Svetlana, then fell off the bar counter. I helped your drunk ass stagger home and I put you to bed."

"Hah, that explains why my face hurts." Lip laughed in amusement. "Too many shots....gotta lay off the vodka. Gives me weird dreams."

"Oh yeah?" Ian glanced at lip.

"Yeah, I had a dream I was making out with Mandy Milkovich." Lip rolled his eyes with a smile. "Haven't thought about her in awhile."

Ian's heart skipped a beat. "Some dream, wish I could dream of Mickey."

"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to bring up anything uncessary." Lip apologized.

"No it's fine. Hey I gotta get ready for work. Debbie is in the shower, can you take Franny?" Ian walked over to his older brother.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem." Lip set his cup down. He raised both hands and carefully placed them on Franny's sides, his hands brushed Ian's.

Ian ignored how his hands tingled when Lip touched them. As soon as Franny was safely in Lip's arms, Ian turned and left the kitchen. He raced upstairs and went straight for the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Ian glanced around and he saw Lip's jacket on the bedroom floor. Ian went over and picked it up before walking to the bed and sitting down. Ian unzipped his pants and tugged them down to reveal a fully erect cock. Ian wrapped his right hand around the throbbing member and he started stroking himself. Ian lifted the jacket to his face and he nuzzled his nose against the soft fabric; alcohol, cigarettes, and Lip. Ian closed his eyes and inhaled the intoxicating scent. He pictured the kiss in his mind and how forceful Lip was...that kind of aggressiveness was hot. 

"Mmm...." Ian stroked faster and he started bucking his hips against his own hand. Ian imagined Lip on his stomach with his ass in the air, begging for Ian to fuck him. 

Ian grits his teeth and he covered his face with Lip's jacket to stifle his moan. His hips gave a few violent jerks as he came all over himself. Ian rode the climax out until his cock grew soft in his hands. Ian lowered the jacket and he glanced down to see his hand and cock covered in cum.

Shit.

Ian was royally screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are your thoughts on this one so far? Comment and like away~


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian is in desperate need of a distraction.

Ian Gallagher has a difficult time focusing on work, well, focusing on anything really. He manages to get through his 12 hour shifts but people notice he’s often dazed, as though constantly daydreaming about something, or someone. Thankfully, Lip stays at the dorms but that doesn't mean he's left the redhead's thoughts. Truth be told, he's masturbated to the thought of Lip Gallagher for the past few nights. He knows it's wrong... God, he's ashamed and embarrassed. He can’t seem to remove the aggressive kiss from his mind and how much control Lip had over him in that one, passionate moment. This prompts him to reach out to Trevor after five days. 

Ian swallows a nervous lump in his throat when he calls his ex-boyfriend.

The line rings several times, then it clicks and Trevor answers, "Hello?"

"H-hi....it's me." Ian says, clearly nervous.

There is a small pause.... Then Trevor speaks up. "Hey, how are you?"

Really fucking bad... I wanna kill myself. This is what Ian would've said, but he kept that thought to himself. "I'm okay, work is keeping me busy....How are you doing?"

"I'm well enough, staying busy with the new runaway minors heh...some have tried to hit on me, but they're just babies. I only want what's best for them, ya know?" Trevor says.

"Totally understand, if I was a hormonal teenage runaway...I'd wanna bang you too." Ian followed up with a chuckle.

Trevor is silent. 

Ian feels his stomach turn into tight, painful knots.

After, a REALLY long pause, Trevor speaks. "You want to see me?"

Ian responds without hesitation, "Yes...But I know I can't expect you to forgive me... And that's fine. I understand if you'd rather-"

"Come over tonight, after 10:00pm." Trevor says.

Ian feels his heart skip a beat. "Yeah? Ok....See ya later then."

"See ya." Trevor says, before ending the call.

Ian sighs...That was a relief. Trevor still liked him, or so Ian hoped. He glanced at his phone; he still had a few hours of work left. He settles back in his seat and looks over to his partner. “Thanks for letting me make the call Sue. I know I shouldn’t make personal calls on the job, I’m sorry.”

Sue rolls her dark brown eyes and glances at Ian. “You’ve been wearing that sad, mopey face for a couple of days. You look a lot better now though. Everything’s good between you and Trevor I take it?”

“Yeah, I think it will be.” Ian smiles as he tucks his phone away.

After work ends, Ian clocks out at around 6:30pm and catches a cab home. He showers up and throws in a pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt, and his black converse shoes. He grabbed his faded green jacket and put it on, before zipping it up; it was starting to get cold during the evenings. Ian descended the stairs, just as Debbie was walking up with Franny. 

“Where are you going?” Debbie asked, pausing in the middle of the staircase.

“Trevor’s house. I’ll probably end up staying the night.” Ian said and he quickly leaned over and kissed Franny on the cheek, pulling away immediately before she could grab his hair. 

“Oh how cute! You two kissed and made up huh?” Debbie grinned.

“Something like that. Don’t wait up.” Ian turned around and went down the remaining steps. He left the house and walked. He chose a long route and walked past a number of stores and old homes. Twice he stopped to smoke a cigarette, only because he had time to kill. At some point, he arrived at his destination and it was almost 10:00pm. Shit it was cold outside, Ian’s face and hands were turning numb. He regretted not wearing a thick sweater underneath his jacket. The redhead pushed past the metal gate and went up to the front door. He knocked twice and waited. 

Trevor opened the door, wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats with a yellow Nike sign on the sides. 

Ian looked Trevor up and down, “Hey, sorry it’s a little early but I-“

Without warning, Trevor reached out and grabbed Ian by the collar of his jacket. The shorter male pulled Ian inside the house and he shoved his lips against the other’s own.

Ian’s heart fluttered underneath his chest and he wrapped his arms around Trevor’s warm torso, returning the kiss with eager enthusiasm.

Trevor twitched and he jerked his body away from Ian’s touch, having to break away from the kiss with a laugh. “Your hands are cold! Get em’ off me.” He playfully shoved Ian away and then stepped around him to shut the door.

Ian laughed and raised his hands to his mouth to blow hot air on them. “Hah, sorry. Kind of a long walk.”

“You should’ve told me you were walking, I could’ve picked you up.” Trevor steps up to Ian and wraps his arms around the taller male’s waist. He held him close and stared up into those piercing green eyes with fond interest. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Ian wrapped his arms around Trevor, being careful to avoid touching his back with his cold hands. “I’m sorry….I know I fucked up. Do you think we can we try again?” 

Trevor studied Ian’s face and he searched those eyes for any hint of deceit. Finding none, Trevor leaned up and he pressed a gentle kiss to Ian’s lips. “Mmm does that answer your question?” 

Fuck yes. 

Ian squeezes Trevor and he reaches down to grope his ass. “Yes.” Ian tilted his head slightly and he kissed Trevor, tongue flicking out to slide along those sweet lips. 

Trevor groaned into the kiss and he pulled Ian by his jacket, guiding him to the back bedroom. 

Ian gladly follows the other male into the bedroom. In a matter of seconds, and in between kissing, Ian manages to strip all his clothes off. 

Trevor does the same, and he removes his sweatpants and underwear until he’s completely naked. 

Ian puts a hand behind Trevor’s neck and he pulls him in close, giving him another kiss before mumbling, “Top or bottom?”

“Mmm….” Trevor hums against the kiss, considering the question. “I’ll top tonight.” 

Ian nods and he slides both hands down to rest on Trevor’s hips. Ian walks backwards towards the bed and he pulls the other male along with him. The two men’s lips never part, and they kiss each other like long lost lovers. As soon as Ian’s legs touch the bed, he lays down on his back and he pulls Trevor with him.

Trevor climbs on top of Ian and he rests a leg on either side of the other male’s waist. Trevor grinds his hips, rubbing his silicon 8-inch dick against Ian’s 9-inch hard on. “Someone’s happy to see me.” Trevor teased.

Ian shivers at the touch; he’s already dripping with pre-cum. “Can you blame him? I mean me.” Ian leaned up on his elbows, eyes never leaving Trevor’s face.

Trevor leans down and he cups Ian’s face. Then he nuzzles his lips against the other’s before whispering, “Turn around then, I’ll show you how much I missed you~” 

The words travel right down to Ian’s cock, making it twitch and throb for attention. “Fuck…..” Ian tilted his head and kissed Trevor again. He pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Trevor smiled against the kiss and he climbed off Ian when he sat up. The curly haired brunette walked over to his nightstand and picked up a bottle of lube.

Ian turned around and got on his hands and knees.

Trevor returned to the bed and he stood at the very end, admiring Ian’s ass from behind. He whistled, while opening the cap to the bottle. He was purposely taking his time.

Ian laughed lightly and he glanced over his shoulder. His eyes traveled to Trevor’s hands.

Trevor poured a generous amount of clear colored liquid into his right hand. Then he capped the bottle and tossed it onto the bed. He moved up to Ian’s ass and he gripped the left cheek, spreading it just a bit to expose Ian’s hole. He pressed his left palm against the opening, making sure to smear the lubricant all around.

Ian bit down on his bottom lip and he trembled slightly, the liquid felt cold. 

Trevor smirked and he pressed his thumb against Ian’s hole. He moved it around in slow circles, massaging the tight ring.

“Fuck.” Ian gripped the blankets underneath him. “Hurry up! Quit teasing me.” 

“Oh but you deserve it. I'm willing to give you another chance but that doesn’t mean I forgive you just yet.” Trevor pushed his thumb inside Ian.

Ian sucked in a breath and he closed his eyes. “Okay….I deserve this…” Ian admitted in hushed tone.

“Mhmm.” Trevor was satisfied with Ian’s response. He twisted his thumb and moved it in and out in slow strokes, while stretching Ian’s hole just a bit. 

Ian shivered and remained quiet, letting Trevor do whatever he pleased. 

Deciding he was done teasing, Trevor pulled his thumb out and he stepped forward, placing a hand on each of Ian’s thighs. He grinded his hips forward, rubbing the tip of his cock between Ian’s cheeks.

Ian rolled his hips against Trevor’s cock, playfully wiggling his hips for the other male. 

“That ass….” Trevor licked his lips. He slid one hand down and groped Ian’s left butt cheek. Using his right hand, Trevor guided the tip of his cock to Ian’s entrance and he poked and prodded the area. Trevor brushed his hand against the lubed up area and rubbed some up and down his cock. “You ready babe?” 

“Yes, I’m ready.” Ian could barely speak. He wanted to curse and yell at Trevor for teasing him this long, but he refrained from doing so.

Hearing the confirmation, Trevor gripped Ian’s hips and he gently pushed his hips forward. The tip of his cock pushed inside Ian. Trevor gently nudged himself inside, inch by inch, past the tight ring of muscle. 

Ian tensed up but he forced himself to focus on his breathing. He wasn’t used to being on the bottom, this was only his 4th time doing it. “Nnnn~” His jaw clenched and he squeezed his eyes shut.

Trevor moved slowly, and as gently as possible, until he was fully sheathed inside Ian. He waited for a few moments for Ian to adjust. 

Ian could tell Trevor was waiting for him to get use the feeling, what a gentleman. Ian leaned forward, allowing himself to slide off Trevor’s cock and then he pushed back, feeling the hard length slide back in. “Ohh…” He let out a content moan and repeated the motion.

Trevor smirked, if that wasn’t the fucking hottest thing he’d ever seen… and Ian’s voice was incredibly sexy. Trevor began to match Ian’s movements and he would push his hips forward every time Ian slid back on his cock. 

Ian was in heaven. It hurt a little at first but Trevor’s gentle pace helped Ian ease into it. He kept his eyes closed while lowering his upper body to the bed, so that he was laying down with his ass up in the air; he was giving Trevor full access, and a nice view. 

Trevor groaned at the sight. He squeezed Ian’s ass and began to move his hips in a circular motion, his cock grinded around Ian’s tight walls.

“Fuck….” Ian’s fingers curled up in the blankets. He was happy Trevor took him back, he was going to work really hard on making it up to him. If they could fuck every single day then it would help Ian get a certain someone out of his mind….

A certain someone.

Shit.

Ian mentally cursed at himself for thinking about Lip Gallagher, his own fucking brother for Christ sake. Lip wasn’t gay and even if he was…. There was no way Lip would be as gentle as Trevor. No, the guy would be rough and he would make it hurt. Ian conjured up the image of Lip bending over him and violently bucking his hips against Ian’s ass, while his fingernails clawed into Ian’s back. Ian recalled how Lip would mark up Mandy up hickies, oh, how wonderful it would be to have Lip mark his body up like that. 

Well, Ian was already beyond the point of no return.

The redhead slid his hands to the edge of the bed and gripped. He started rocking his hips faster, “Nnn….harder.” Ian begged, a moan following. In Ian’s head, it wasn’t Trevor fucking him, it was his brother Lip Gallagher. 

Trevor squeezed Ian’s hips, he was trying to be careful but also tried to keep up with Ian’s increased pace. Trevor’s fingernails dug into the sides of Ian’s hips as he gripped tightly, and he grunted with the effort he put into each thrust. He moved just as fast and he angled each thrust, knowing exactly where Ian’s sweet spot was. 

The new, rough pace and slight pain in his hips sent Ian reeling over the edge. He reached up, grabbed his own cock, and began to stroke himself. As soon as Trevor’s cock hit his prostate, he was done for. The redhead’s whole body shook with he reached his climax and he let out a lust-fueled moan, his back arching as he painted the bed with cum.

Trevor didn’t stop, he continued to fuck Ian so the other male could enjoy his climax to the fullest. 

That was one of the most painful, intense, and pleasurable orgasms Ian ever experienced in his life. He gradually slowed his pace until stopping completely. 

Trevor noticed Ian was still, and panting heavily on the bed. This prompted him to pull out of Ian slowly.

A lewd popping noise followed as Trevor’s cock slid out of Ian’s hole. 

Ian collapsed onto the bed then. He rolled over onto his back, still panting. “Fuck….”

Trevor smirked and he climbed onto the bed and laid next to Ian. “Looks like you enjoyed yourself.”

“I did, I really did…” Ian turned his head to stare at Trevor. “Cuddle me?” 

Trevor laughed, “No, you’re covered in cum. Go wash up first.”

Ian laughed and shrugged. “Okay, be right back.” Ian got up from the bed and he padded silently out of the room and down the hallway. He found the bathroom and flicked the light switch on. As soon as Ian saw the mirror, he quickly looked away. He kept his gaze averted while washing his hands, followed by wiping the mess of his chest with a towel. Right now, Ian couldn’t bear to see his reflection, nor acknowledge the guilt weighing down on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, Ian Gallagher is in trouble. 
> 
> Hehe, hope you guys are enjoying this so far. It's fun to write, I love the Shameless characters ~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things just keep getting more and more complicated for Ian.

After spending the night at Trevor's house, Ian would wake to breakfast in bed, followed by intense morning sex; Ian was the top this time. Needless to say, breakfast grew cold by the time they finished. 

Ian was lounging in a pair of trunks and baggy blue t-shirt. The redhead was seated at the edge of Trevor's bed, munching down on cold toast and bacon. Emerald orbs focused on the brunette male, who's curls stuck out wildly. Ian chuckled.

Trevor was in the process of getting ready. He was pulling up his jeans when he heard the chuckle. He glanced over his shoulder, an eyebrow quirking. "What?"

"Your hair....didn't think it could look crazier then it already is." Ian smirked in amusement.

"You don't like my sex mussed hair?" Trevor left his shirt unbuttoned and walked over to Ian. He placed his hands on the redhead's legs before leaning forward and planting a kiss against the other's lips.

"Mmm..." Ian purred against the kiss before reaching up and sliding his hand behind Trevor's neck, pulling him even closer.

Sensing Ian's impending attack, Trevor quickly placed his hands on Ian's chest and playful shoved him. "Hey! I have to be at work in 20 minutes." Trevor licked his bottom lip, he could taste grape jelly from kissing Ian.

Ian placed his hands on the bed, not all bothered by the shove. He watched Trevor's tongue. "We could make it a quickie?"

Trevor laughed lightly and shook his head. "We just finished half an hour ago, Jesus Ian.... you were never this horny before."

"Yeah? Well maybe I'm trynna make up for lost time?" Ian ignored the guilty feeling in his chest. It was a lie.... He didn't miss Trevor at all during the week he was with Mickey. Those few days they were on the road...Talk about REALLY making up time. At almost every single restroom stop, Ian would fuck Mickey. Didn't matter if it was in a dirty bathroom, behind a tree, or in the back seat of the car, the two acted like horny teenagers in heat. If only things turned out differently.... If Mickey could've stayed, then maybe the unfortunate event of kissing his brother out of pure loneliness wouldn't have happened. Now here he was, lying to his boyfriend and fantasizing he's fucking someone else. Not just anyone...His own brother, Lip Gallagher. The thought makes Ian feel a little nauseous.

"Lost time....yeah right." Trevor rolls his eyes and looks down to focus on buttoning up his shirt.

Ian set his plate of food down and he stood up from the bed. He walked around Trevor and wrapped his arms around the shorter male. Ian kissed the back of Trevor's neck before resting his chin on a shoulder. Ian sighed softly. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I heard you the first 100 times Ian." Trevor relaxes in Ian's arms and he instinctively leaned against the redhead's chest. "Just don't bring it up again okay? I need to concentrate on work, on the kids I work with. I don't wanna worry about my boyfriend's mistakes."

Ian nodded, the comment stung slightly. "Okay. Promise." Ian planted another kiss against Trevor's neck.

"Ian, I'm gonna be late..." Trevor urged gently. He reached up and pried Ian's arms away.

"Can I see you after work?" Ian let the other male remove his arms and step away.

"I'll let you know... I've been having trouble with two kids, one of them keeps resorting to violence. I think she has issues but if I can't find a place for her tonight, I might have to let her stay here." Trevor finished his shirt and he sat down on the bed to put on a pair of black leather shoes.

"Oh....sounds stressful." Ian sat down next to Trevor and watched him. 

"It is, but it's my job...and I love helping the youth. They don't have family and friends to lean on, so that leaves me." Trevor's expression became solemn while he spoke.

Ian could tell Trevor was referring to his own past....he could detect the bitterness in Trevor's words. He helped those kids because nobody helped him, and Ian assumed it had to do with his being a transgender man. Ian never asked about Trevor's past, but the brunette left subtle clues. The topic was very sensitive, which is why Ian didn't pry. He felt bad for Trevor at times. Ian was fortunate that his entire family accepted him for being gay; they offered unconditional love and support. "Hey...Those kids are lucky to have you." Ian reached up and gently squeezed Trevor's shoulder. "Have a good day at work."

"Thanks babe..." Trevor finished slipping both shoes and adjusting the collar of his shirt. He leaned over and kissed Ian on his cheekbone. "Clean up the bed and lock up when you leave okay?" Trevor stood up.

Ian smiled and nodded. "Okay. Seeya."

"Seeya." Trevor smiled back and he turned to grab his car keys off the nightstand. He left his bedroom and made is way to the front door.

Ian heard the front door open and close, followed by a vehicle starting. The redhead rolled over onto his stomach and he finished off the remaining bacon and scrambled eggs. He chugged down half a mug full of cold coffee. Then, Ian took the dirty dishes into the kitchen and deposited them into the sink. Ian made quick work of wrapping the bed sheet and blankets up into a ball. He tossed them in the washer and measured out a cup of laundry detergent. He knew Trevor would stop in at lunch time and throw the wet linen inside the dryer. Ian got ready and slipped on all his clothes. The last item being his shoes and thin zip-up jacket. At least it as warmer now, Ian enjoyed the walk back home.

It was around 10:00am when Ian walked through the front door of the Gallagher house, only to hear shouting from one of the most obnoxious people in the world.

Frank fucking Gallagher.

"Great..." Ian regretted not staying at Trevor's house. He had one more day off but could be called in at any hour. Shit, he really HOPED Sue would call him into work. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with Frank. He was just about to go upstairs when Debbie shouted from the kitchen.

"IAN! I need a favor!" Debbie walked around Frank and rushed to the stairs.

Ian froze. Fuck. He already knew what Debbie was going to ask. He turned to face her, a stern, annoyed look on his face. "No Debbie, it's my day off. I'm not gonna babysit Franny."

"PLEASE!" Debbie begged, she juggled her purse and Franny in both arms; she was dressed in a waitress uniform, indicating Fiona allowed her to keep her job; even though lacked a babysitter half the time.

"What am I? Chopped fucking liver?!" Frank wandered out of the kitchen and towards his children, and one grandchild. "Debs, I told you I can watch Franny. Why are you berating your brother into doing something he clearly has no skill or interest in?"

Debbie huffed up angrily and faced her dad. "You're drunk Frank! I can smell it on your breath. I will NOT let a drunk watch my baby."

Frank rolled his eyes, "I only had a pint Debbie, that's like, half a beer for any of the Gallagher family members. I'm fine, look." Frank held out his hands to show how steady they were. "See? Might as well be a goddamn surgeon. Now give me my grand baby." Frank held his arms out and he attempted to take Franny from Debbie's arms.

"GET AWAY!" Debbie's voice raised and she hit Frank over the head with her over-sized purse.

Frank grunted and he grabbed his head and took a step back.

Franny started to cry.

'For Christ Sake', Ian was at his wits end. "OKAY!" He reached out and took Franny from Debbie's arms. "Just go! You too Frank! You know you're not allowed in this house anymore."

"Oh my God thank you Ian!" Debbie leaned up and kissed Ian on the cheek, followed by kissing Franny's forehead. She shot Frank a death glare before hurrying out of the house.

"Hey I'm on standby. If Sue calls me in I'll just call you at the diner-" Ian trailed off when he heard the front door slam.

Franny's crying became louder.

"Shhh....it's okay Franny." Ian cooed and he began bouncing the tiny infant in his arms. He stroked her back up and down, while kissing her up on her cheeks.

Franny calmed down and she whimpered a few times.

"Aww I bet you're tired huh? Let's get you a bottle and we'll lay down." Ian glanced up, his expression hardened. "Get out Frank."

Frank ignored the angry stare. He looked around the living room. "So where'd you guys hide your stash?"

"Frank-"

"Oh come on Ian!" Frank turned around to face his son. "I DESERVE some of that drug money, but lemme guess, all of you are STILL sitting on it? What, too scared to sell it on your own? Let your old man do it, I was dealing drugs last year, hell I'll get it all sold within the month." 

Ian gave a frustrated sigh. "No, that's not gonna happen."

"It's here in the house isn't it?" Frank's eyes began to dart around.

Ian recognized that crazy glint, Frank was scheming something. "AS IF we'd keep drugs in the house! Last warning Frank, get the fuck out!"

Franny began to whine when Ian raised his voice.

Frank ignored both his son and granddaughter. He went over to the couch and began tearing the cushions off, one by one.

"Fuck." Ian quickly set Franny down on the floor, she was old enough to sit up by now. He approached his father and grabbed the older man by his shoulders.

"The fuck Ian! Is this anyway to treat the guy who raised you!?" Frank struggled to pry Ian's hands off his shoulders.

Ian had a death grip. He shoved and pushed the old man past the living room couch and right to the front door. Ian kept one hand on Frank's shirt while the other reached out to open the door.

"Unbelievable! All of you are a bunch of disrespectful, ungrateful, bas-"

Ian practically tossed Frank off the front porch.

Frank landed on his left side and he rolled twice. He grunted and got up, raising his right hand to flip Ian off.

Ian raised his middle finger, and then stepped back inside to lock the door.

Frank grumbled his discontent and got up from the ground. He brushed his dirty jeans off and sauntered off, while cursing each and every one of his children under his breath.

Ian had to prepare a bottle and sing to Franny to get her to calm down a second time. Poor thing, she was wailing her little lungs out after Ian kicked Frank out. Although, it wasn't his intention to stay home all day, Ian rather enjoyed the peace and calm; after Frank left. Ian and his niece took two long naps, and when they were awake, they cuddled and watched cartoons. Ian made sure to lay her on her stomach, as Debbie instructed, and he'd lay right next to her. Ian would cheer her on and show her how to get up on her hands and knees. To his surprise, Franny could easily lift herself on her hands on knees. It was the crawling part that needed work, Franny would stay stuck in one area before rolling over onto her back.

It was a day well spent, but babies are exhausting and it wasn't like he spent a whole lot of time sleeping at Trevor's house...the two went at it four more times during the night, and once more before Trevor made breakfast. Yeah, the redhead was drained. As soon as Debbie got off work, Ian gave Franny back to her and he retired to his room. He decided to skip out on a shower and go straight to bed. It's only 7:00pm and the third-youngest Gallagher is curled up in bed, sleeping the night away.

Sleep is exactly what Ian needed. He opened his eyes as soon as he saw light filtering in through the window. He sat up with a yawn and stretch. Wow, that was one of the most amazing nights of rest he got. He didn't dream this time, thank fucking God. Ian felt a pressure in his bladder and he glanced down; there was a bulge underneath his boxer briefs. It was time to go take a piss. The redhead slipped his blanket off and he got up from the bed. He made his way out of his bedroom and went into the hallway bathroom. He stands in front of the toilet with his dick in his hands but before he could urinate, Ian felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his waist

"The fuck!?" Ian tensed up.

Soft lips nuzzle the back of Ian's neck, while the arms pull the redhead close.

Ian feels something hard pushing between his cheeks.

"Is that a rock? Or are you just happy to see me~" Lip whispered against Ian's right ear.

Lip.

Lip Gallagher.

What in the actual fuck.

Ian's heart is racing so loud that he can feel it in his ears. "W-what are you doing?"

"Mmm...helping you get off, if it's okay..." Lip pressed a kiss to Ian's jaw. "I can help you." The older sibling slid his hands over Ian's cock, while pushing the one hand away.

Ian shivers against the touch. Without even thinking about it, he raised both his arms and looped them around Lip's neck. He tilted his jaw up, giving Lip full access.

"Damn, didn't think you'd want it THAT bad." Lip smirked and attacked Ian's neck with kisses and light bites.

"S-shut up~" Ian's voice waivers. He starts to give small thrusts against Lip's hands.

"Yeah, just like that..." Lip's voice goes deep, and he almost growls the words.

Hearing that lust-fueled voice made Ian feel weak in the knees. When he rolled his hips back, he made sure to rub his ass against Lip's hard erection, before pushing his hips forward into Lip's hands. "Ahh..." Ian starts panting as he builds up a steady rhythem.

"Fuck...you really know how to work those hips huh? I'm already making a mess in my underwear....you gonna clean it up for me later?" Lip flicked out his tongue along Ian's neck.

"Uhnnn....yes, fuck yes. Whatever you wan't Lip. I'll fucking do it." Ian can feel his cock throbbing, he's close. 

"Yes...whatever I want. You're so hot Ian, had I known you were THIS horny, I woulda fucked you years ago" Lip begins to thrust his hips against Ian's ass.

Ian wished they were both completely naked but this, this felt good too. The words travel right down to his cock and he tightened his grip around his brother's neck. "Ahhh I'm gonna cum Lip."

"Me too Ian, me too." Lip presses his face against Ian's shoulder, his breathing grew more labored as he ground his hips, each movement grew more aggressive. 

Ian closed his eyes, he was letting the feeling envelope him. The feeling of having his brother's cock rubbing between his ass cheeks, and having those big strong hands curled around his own dick. 

Lip starts groaning, "Oh fuck Ian.....I'm gonna...."

Carl Gallagher pauses in the middle of the hallway and he turns his attention towards Ian's room; he can hear weird sounds. The teenager grabs the door knob and twists it, before peering inside curiously.

Ian is curled up around a blanket and a couple of pillows. He's holding onto the pillows like they're a real person and he's rutting his hips against the blanket. 

Judging by the position of Ian's body, and heated moans, Carl can only conclude that his older brother is having a wet dream

The brunette grins and he quickly leaves to the bathroom. He fills a bucket half way with water before returning to Ian's room. Carl stands over to the side of the bed with a mischievous smile on his face. He raises the bucket and proceeds to pour ice cold water onto the sleeping redhead.

Ian's eyes shoot open and the older Gallagher springs up and out of the wet bed. He whips around to see a laughing Carl Gallagher, an empty bucket in one hand. "CARL!!!"

Carl throws the bucket down while still laughing. He readies himself as Ian lunged at him. The younger sibling is faster and he ducks to the left and avoids Ian's reach. Carl runs out the open door.

Ian clenched his teeth and grunted when Carl slipped past him. Sneaky bastard. Ian turns and he pursues Carl, but not without grabbing the empty bucket first. 

Carl is racing down the hallway, towards the stairs.

Ian is sprinting as fast as he can, exiting his bedroom, and taking a sharp right to chase Carl down.

Carl is jumping as many steps as he can to get to the bottom of the stairs.

Ian makes it to the top platform of the stairs and he spots Carl. Ian winds his right hand back and aims for Carl's head. Using all of his strength, Ian chucked the empty mop bucket at Carl.

The blue, plastic bucket hurtles through the air and hits Carl right in the back of the head.

Carl gasps from the sudden pain and he misses the last 10 steps or so. He goes stumbling and crashing into the floor. Carl groans and he sits up slowly, only to grab his head. He looked up the stairs and glared at his older brother. "Fucker! That hurt!"

"Good! Maybe then you won't act like such a dickhead." Ian remained at the top of the stairway.

"Naa, still gonna be a dick." Carl smirked.

Ian was almost tempted to march down the stairs and punch that smug smirk off of Carl's face. Ian's heart was racing from the adrenaline rush and when he finally glanced down, he noticed his cock was still rock hard. Shit. He needed to go take of this immediately. Ian turned around and made his way to the bathroom. Before he could get there, he noticed the door at the very end of the hall opened.

Ian froze.

Lip Gallagher stepped out of the room in just his boxer briefs and a black muscle t-shirt. He's rubbing his eyes with a closed fist and a tired yawn pushed past his mouth. "Fuck it's early....what's with all the noise?" Lip looked at Ian, taking note of the wet hair, and semi-nude appearance. Lip's hazel-blue eyes traveled further down and he noticed Ian's underwear was wet and it clung tightly to his body. A very large and distinct bulge is visible in Ian's wet underwear. Lip's eyes widen and he looks back up to meet Ian's gaze. "Uh, you might wanna hit the bathroom first bro. I can wait." 

Ian's face flushed crimson and he nodded quickly. "Y-yeah." Too embaressed to say anything else, Ian darted into the hallway bathroom and slammed the door shut.

'Weird...' Lip was slightly confused as to why his brother was drenched in water. He had a strong feeling it had to do with Carl...Little shit liked to pull pranks when he was visiting for the holidays. Lip yawns again and steps inside his room. He grabs a pair of grey sweats and slides them on. He exits the room and makes his way downstairs. He can hear Fiona and Debbie scolding Carl, while Carl burst into a fit of laughter. Lip smiles. He enters the kitchen and points to Carl. "Bucket and water?"

"Yeah! You shoulda seen his face!" Carl can barely speak as he laughs. 

"I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you." Lip joked. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table with the other Gallagher siblings. 

Meanwhile, Ian is trying desperately to masturbate to anyone BUT his brother. Mickey, Trevor, Caleb, Kash, nothing fucking works. Reluctantly, he pictures Lip Gallagher standing there in the hallway with just his underwear on and a muscle shirt. Ian saw Lip's morning wood, not the first time, but this was a first for Ian to use the visual image to get off. 

It works.

Ian bites down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning as he came all over his hand. Ian gradually stops stroking and he glanced down at the mess on his hand and bathroom sink. He sighs and quickly goes to work cleaning up the mess. Ian strips out of his wet underwear and takes a quick, hot shower. Afterwards, he went into his bedroom and changed into clean clothes. He also opened up a window in hopes the breeze would dry the mattress. Ian grabs the wet blankets and bed sheet off the bed, only to carry them down to the dryer. Ian wasn't even sure what time it was, but he knew he had work at noon. It was going to be a long day.... Shit. Ian really needed to talk to someone about this unhealthy infatuation. He had someone in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Likes? Dislikes?
> 
> Am I portraying the characters accurately? I certainly hope so lol I mean I got enough people subscribing and bookmarking this story so I must be doing something right? :3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian seeks out advice, as well as Lip.

“KEV SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR!” V called from within the living room. 

“Babe I’m trynna finish dishes here!” Kev called. He was standing in the kitchen and hovering over a full sink of water and sippy cups. 

“And I’m trynna breast feed! You want me to answer the door with my titty hanging out?!” V shouted in frustration.

“ALRIGHT! Alright!” Kev grabbed a paper towel and wiped his hands off before leaving the kitchen and walking through the living room to the front door. He opened it up and his eyes widened in surprised, “Ian! Yo, what’s up?” 

“Uh, did I come at a bad time?” Ian heard V shouting around moments ago.

“Naa, we’re good. What’s going on man?” Kev stepped outside and shut the door behind him.

“Can we, uh, go for a walk? Wanted to talk about something and I’m too anxious to stand in one spot.” Ian admitted.

“Yeah, sure man, no problem.” Kev opened the door and leaned in, “Be right back babe!”

“Grab me some cigarettes from the store.” V said, while struggling with her infant; the other daughter was fast asleep in her crib. 

“Okay, got it!” Kev shut the door and he motioned for Ian to lead the way.

Nodding, Ian turned and he climbed down the steps. He waited for Kev and the two men started walking along the sidewalk. 

There was an awkward silence between the two.

Kev isn’t good with silence, so he breaks first and asks: “Guy trouble?”

The redhead is surprised and he glances up at Kev before laughing lightly. “That obvious huh?

“I dunno, I’m just spit balling here.” Kev laughed at having guessed correctly. “Your new boyfriend giving you trouble?”

“No, no!” Ian shook his head quickly. “Trevor is great and we’re back together and all…..”

“But?” Kev raised an eyebrow. 

Ian sighed heavily and he looked down at the sidewalk. “I um…..I like someone else.”

“Okay…..then what the fuck is eating at you?” Kev didn’t appreciate Ian’s vague comments.

“Well…. I like this guy but I shouldn’t. He’s uh….Let’s just say I’d be in deep shit if I tried anything with him. I try EVERYTHING to keep him off my mind but it’s fuckin’ useless…. I see him in my dreams, I see him when I’m awake, and even when….when I’m with Trevor. I feel guilty. It’s like I’m cheating on Trevor and I don’t want to….Just can’t figure out what to do to get him outta my head.” Ian sighed again and he ran a hand through his red hair, clearly upset about his situation.

“Hm…” Kev’s wheels were working as he processed the new information. “And this other guy…he doesn’t know how you feel?”

“No, he doesn’t. I haven’t tried hitting on him or anything but when I’m around him….fuck, my mind goes off like crazy.” Ian thought about Lip’s strong arms and how they held him in place when they kissed….that was a week ago. 

“I see…..then…..Fuck em’.” Kev said.

“Huh?” Ian looked up at Kevin, confused by the remark. “Fuck him like…..forget him and move on?”

“No, I mean fuck him. Bend him over and fuck his brains out until you get your fill. Cuz that’s all you’re thinking of right? You’re not interested in a relationship with this guy, that’s what you got Trevor for. You just need to know what this other guy is like in bed and once you find out, you can focus on yourself and Trevor. No more fantasies and distractions.” Kev said and he glanced up as a gas station came into view. 

Ian blinked. He was in disbelief … Kev actually made a logical, fucking, point. “Wow…I didn’t think of that.” 

“Haha!” Kev laughed. “Glad I solved your problem for ya, I’m gonna run in and buy V some cigarettes.” 

“Alright, thanks. Cya around.” Ian continued walking.

“Cya.” Kev said and he made his way up to the gas station to purchase V’s cigarettes and a couple of tallboys for later. 

Lip Gallagher notices the change in brother’s behavior. Every time Lip entered an area where Ian was, the redhead was quick to excuse himself and he’d take off into another room of the house. At first, Lip doesn’t think anything of it. He’s just glad nobody asks him about college and classes… Truth be told, he was kicked out a few days ago and he’s struggling with his grades. It’s hard enough as it is scrounging up money to ride the train back and forth to class but he manages. With all the bullshit going on with Helene and college, Lip is aching to share some of his worries with his siblings. 

A few times, Lip reached out to Ian and tried to engage in a casual conversation.

Ian would bring up something like ‘I gotta get to work’, or ‘Trevor wants me to meet him here’ and blatantly take off from the house.  
Lip is confused and slightly hurt by the avoidance. It would appear his sibling was jittery and anxious about something. This concerns Lip and he’s tried several times to invite Ian out for a beer but the redhead always declined the offers. Something was going on and Lip was determined to find out but he would need some advice on how to approach the situation.

So, Lip decided to go to his older sister for help.

Fiona Gallagher and Lip Gallagher are seated outside the house on the steps. Each one is smoking a cigarette and both are bundled up in winter clothing; it’s only fall but the nights are starting to turn chilly. 

“Wait….say it again, I’m confused.” Fiona looked at her brother.

Lip blew a cloud of smoke before speaking. “Me and this guy are close, good friends ya know? But lately he’s been….acting weird. We didn’t get into a fight or anything but when I try to talk to the guy, he just comes up with an excuse and takes off. He’s avoiding me and not telling me why.” 

“Hm….sounds like he has a crush on you or something.” Fiona commented.

A laugh pushed past Lip’s mouth. “Hah, no, he’s in a relationship and it wouldn’t make sense for him to like me.” 

“Oh…that’s really odd. You must have done something that makes him think differently of you, which is why he’s avoiding you.” Fiona took another drag of her cigarette.

The words hit Lip like a goddamn freight train. He lowers his cigarette and stares at the ground. Did Ian find out about Lip being kicked out of the dorms? Or the impending meeting regarding his continuation at the college? Lip didn’t tell a soul about it….. That HAD to be it. Ian was disappointed with Lip and couldn’t bear to speak to him anymore. “Shit….I think you’re right. Now I REALLY gotta talk to him and clear things up.” 

“Yeah, well I hope it all works out for ya. I know it’s shitty losing good friends, I feel like I haven’t seen V in months.” Fiona finished her cigarette and snuffed it out on the porch. “I’m gonna go help Debs with dinner.”

“Alright, thanks for advice sis.” Lip said.

Fiona nodded and she reached over put her hand on Lip’s hand.

Lip turned his hand and gripped his sister’s hand.

“You’ll be alright kid, you got this.” Fiona gave her brother’s hand a reassuring squeeze before standing up and walking back into the house.

Lip nodded, “Yeah.” He smiled a bit and stared out towards the streets as his sister went back inside. Those words meant a lot to him. 

It’s Thursday evening and finally, Trevor’s house is open again; he was housing another teenager who had no family to stay with. Ian Gallagher is thrilled to spend another night with his boyfriend, so he gets to packing immediately. He’s upstairs in his bedroom, shoving extra clothes into a black duffle bag. 

Lip entered Ian’s room quietly and he shut the door with a soft click.

Ian glanced over his shoulder to see who was in his room and his heart nearly sprang out of his chest when he spotted his older brother. 

The shocked expression puzzles Lip and he raised an eyebrow, wanting to address it. “Why do you always look at me like I’m some ravenous animal about to attack?”

Ian quickly shakes his head. “Might wanna get your eyes checked then, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ian turns his attention back to his bag but he notices the slight trembling in his hands. Fuck. He’s already picturing Lip bent over the bed. Uh oh, this isn’t good. He needs to leave straightaway.

“Huh….well if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re nervous.” Lip watched his brother closely, this time he wasn’t going to let his brother run away. “Do I make you nervous?”

“Pfft….” Ian zipped up the duffel bag and he threw the strap over his right shoulder. He turned around and rolled his eyes, “No, of course not.” He walked up to the door where his brother was standing. 

Lip didn’t move.

Ian paused. 

“Move……please.” Ian’s eyebrows furrowed and he ignored his racing his heart. 

“Talk to me.” Lip said.

“Later, I gotta get to Trevor’s house.” Ian was growing more nervous by the second and it was showing in his body language; he was shifting from foot to foot, and he tapped his right hand against his leg. 

“Jesus, Trevor can wait another half hour but you and me….We’re gonna talk.” Lip motioned to the bed with a head tilt. “Sit down.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do... Now get out of my way.” Ian said, his voice dangerously low. 

Lip isn’t fazed at all. He rolls his eyes and shrugs before stepping aside for Ian.

Ian reached out and grabbed the doorknob.

Lip suddenly lowered himself and he wrapped both his arms around Ian’s waist, gripping tightly.

“The fuck?!” Ian tensed up.

Lip hoisted his brother from the floor and he moved over to the bed.

Ian’s duffel bag slipped off and he elbowed Lip in the back. “PUT ME DOWN ASSHOLE!” 

Lip ignored the pain in his back and he maintained a tight grip on his brother, in spite of the violent trashing the redhead engaged in. As soon as he neared the bed, Lip threw his younger brother down onto it.

Ian grunted when he was tossed onto the bed. Just as he sat up, Lip grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down. 

“Stay.” Lip said.

“Fuck you.” Ian shoved Lip’s hands away and attempted to roll to his side to get off the bed.

Lip lost his patience. 

The older Gallagher sibling lifted his right leg and he swung it over Ian’s waist. He grabbed both of Ian’s wrists and pinned them down hard. Lip scooted up so he was seated on Ian’s chest and he used all of his weight to keep the redhead pinned to the bed. “STOP ACTING LIKE A FUCKING KID OR I’M GONNA TREAT YOU LIKE ONE!” Lip’s voice raised and it was pure anger.

Ian went motionless. He never saw Lip this angry before and the menacing expression frightened him. He didn’t try to struggle or move from Lip’s grip. “Okay….” He mumbled. He stared up into those hazel-blue eyes and waited.

It took a couple of minutes for Lip to calm down. His heart was still racing from anger and adrenaline. He never had to do that… He regretted it but there was no point in apologizing. Ian pushed him to do this. Lip relaxed his grip on Ian’s wrists but he didn’t let go, just in case he tried to bolt for the door again. 

Lip exhaled softly.

Ian inhaled a deep breath.

Lip parted his mouth to speak.

Ian did the same.

“We need to-“

“We need to-“

“-Talk.”

-Fuck.”

Wait.

Ian and Lip look at each other in surprise. 

Both of them make that ‘O’ shape with their mouths.

“What….what did you say?” Lip asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought it was time to get another chapter uploaded :3
> 
> Haha, I can totally hear V saying that. "Answer the door with my titty hanging out", yup, that's totally her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lip is confused....very confused.

Ian and Lip look at each other in surprise.

Both of them make that ‘O’ shape with their mouths.

“What….what did you say?” Lip asked.

The position the two men were in had Ian’s heart racing. Blood rushed to his face, causing the tan freckled skin to flush crimson. The blood also rushed to his groin area, producing a noticeable bulge in Ian’s pants. He couldn’t help it at this point, being pinned down reminded Ian of his ex-boyfriend, Mickey Milkovich. The raven-haired male did the EXACT same thing when he wanted to overpower Ian. It was a huge fucking turn on. Ian opened his mouth to speak but all he could really muster was “Uh…”

Lip wasn’t sure if he heard correctly….. Judging by Ian’s red cheekbones, Lip could only assume his brother was serious. “Wait….is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

A set of green eyes widened. “You’re seriously more concerned about me avoiding you then wanting to fuck you?” Ian was bewildered.

“Yeah, I mean, that too but…” Lip trailed off. Was he surprised? At first, yes, but the initial shock was already wearing off. Lip was staring at Ian with a quizzical expression, while attempting to sort through his busy thoughts. His little brother, a grown, gay, man wanted to fuck. That was….strange. Lip is marginally repulsed by the idea but he approached it from an objective point of view. Clearly, Ian developed some unhealthy infatuation that stemmed from something that took place in his life. Lip was curious as to what would push his brother to want to engage in such an immoral act.

The longer the silence lingered, the more panicked Ian felt. That’s when he noticed Lip loosened his grip on both wrists. Ian suddenly turned his body to the right and he threw his older brother off the bed.

Lip was lost in thought that he barely had time to react to Ian’s abrupt body toss. He landed on his back, followed by his head and elbows slamming into the floor. He grunted in pain, "Ow! Fuck, Ian."

The redhead's heart was beating incredibly fast that it was the only sound in his ears. He scrambled off the bed and jumped over his older sibling. He reached down and grabbed the duffel bag before throwing the bedroom door open and dashing out.

"Ian-" Lip sat up.

Ian's face and body tingled when he heard his name. There was no coming back from this now. The shame and embarrassment drove him down the long flight of steps and into the living room area.

Deb, whom was carrying her infant in hear arms, called out to Ian. "Hey Ian dinner is ready!"

"Gotta run, just got called in to work!" Ian yelled over his shoulder without turning. He raced to the front door and slipped his shoes on.

Fiona was already making plates and setting them on the table. "Do you need a ride-"

The front door slammed shut.

Fiona and Deb looked at each other in confusion.

"Somebody's in trouble~" Liam said in a singsong voice; the boy was seated at the kitchen table.

Fiona turned her attention to Liam and raised an eyebrow, "You know something we don't kid? Spill the beans."

"You smell like beans~" Liam said with a giggle.

This made Fiona scoff mockingly and roll her eyes, "Little turd, hush and eat your mac n' cheese." 

Frantic knocking at the front door made Trevor look away from the T.V. "It's open!" He called.

Ian opened up the door and stepped into Trevor's home.

"Hey beautiful." Trevor motioned with a head tilt for Ian to come over and take a seat next to him.

Ian shut the door behind him and dropped his duffel bag on the floor. He moved quickly around the long couch and stood in front of Trevor. He climbed onto his boyfriend's lap and rested a knee on either side of Trevor, straddling his hips at the same time. 

"Wow..." Trevor's eyes widened when he felt Ian's hard erection poking his lower abdomen. He stared up at the other male, perplexed by the sudden arousal he was feeling; there was something predatory about Ian's body language. "Is that a rock in your pants or are you just happ-"

Ian suddenly cupped Trevor's face with both hands and he kissed him roughly.

Trevor flinched slightly when their teeth clashed noisily against each other; the aggressive kiss had his head spinning. "Mmf...Ian..."

Ian pulled away but continued to hold Trevor's face. "Let's fuck. Right. Now."

Trevor reached up and he placed a hand on either side of Ian's face. He stared into green eyes and noticed how glossy they appeared. Trevor initially thought it was lust but...it appeared as though Ian was upset and on the verge of crying. "Babe...what's wrong?"

Ian blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You look upset, tell me what happened." Trevor stroked his thumbs up and down Ian's cheekbones.

Unable to maintain the confident facade anymore, Ian broke down. His shoulders slumped and the tears started pouring from both eyes. His expression contorted into that of pain and he leaned down and hugged Trevor tightly. Ian buried his face against Trevor's neck and sobbed, his whole body trembled. "I can't....I can't go back home Trevor. I fucked up, I mean, REALLY fucked up and I don't think I can face my family ever again."

Trevor wrapped his arms around Ian's lower back and he pressed a kiss to the side of Ian's head. "Shh...it's okay Ian, you can stay as long as you need to okay? I mean, whatever you did...this is your family we're talking about. I'm sure they'll love you no matter what you did."

Ian shook his head stubbornly, sniffling as he tried to stop crying.

"Stay as long as you need to but you're going to have to see them at one point in the future, understood?" Trevor pulled Ian back a little so the two could face each other.

Ian sighed and nodded. He reached up and wiped the tears away. "Okay....thank you." 

Trevor smiled. "You don't have to thank me Ian, I'm happy to help." The brunette gently pulled Ian's hands away and he leaned up and kissed him. At the same time, he gave a few hip thrusts. 

Ian obediently lowered his hands and he smiled into the kiss. He closed his eyes, feeling Trevor's hard bulge rubbing against his own. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's your turn to top tonight?" Trevor asked with a sly smile. 

Ian smirked and he shifted off of Trevor's lap and pushed the smaller male down against the couch. "Yeah, that's correct." Ian peeled off his jacket and tossed it aside.

Trevor looked up at his boyfriend before removing his own t-shirt.

Fiona walked upstairs after Ian's sudden disappearance and she glanced in his room; empty. "Hm..." Sensing something happened, Fiona walked to the end of the hall where Lip and Liam shared a room, occasionally Carl when he came to visit during the holidays. She knocked on the door.

No answer.

Fiona entered the dark room and spotted Lip on his bed, curled up underneath a blanket and facing the window. "You awake?"

Lip grunted tiredly.

".....You and Ian get into an argument or something?" Fiona asked.

Lip didn't make a sound.

"Well whatever it is, YOU need to fix it. The last thing I want is for Ian to go off his meds due to stress at home. Remember what happened with his ex, Caleb? He almost lost his shit at work and got fired. I don't care what was said between you two but you gotta fix it Lip. Ian is your little brother, he needs you." Fiona didn't wait for an answer this time. She closed the door with a soft click and went back downstairs.

Lip sighed and he rolled onto his back to stare up at the dark ceiling. What Fiona said was true, to a certain extent. It wasn't Lip's fault for Ian's unusual feelings. Not ONCE in his life did he ever give Ian any indication he liked him outside of a brother. Sure they joked around about dicks and pussy, but that didn't mean Lip liked cock or Ian liked vag; it was the opposite for the two. So when did Ian start thinking like that? Was he THAT lonely for Mickey that it misconstrued Ian's feelings and made him want to fuck his own brother? That seemed like the most logical explanation but Lip wasn't going to assume he knew what was going on in Ian's mind. One thing was for sure, Ian was creating a stressful situation for himself and he brought Lip unwillingly into it. Maybe if the two had a good heart-to-heart talk, they could clear up any unresolved feelings and issues. Afterwards, the two could go back to being brothers because in all honesty, Lip needed Ian just as much as Ian needed him.

Three days went by without a word from Ian Gallagher.

Lip helped babysit Franny and he even walked Liam to school a few times when Frank didn't show up. No surprise there.

Fiona pestered Lip to go check on Ian and Lip would roll his eyes, "Jesus Fiona he's a grown fucking man, he'll be okay. I'm sure Trevor will call us if he's acting weird or something."

This response would often irritate Fiona but she kept her mouth shut after the harsh snap.

Lip acted like nothing was wrong when in reality, he was beginning to worry for his brother. One day, while the girls were at work and Liam was at school, Lip picked up the house phone and called the local EMT department. 

"Hello?" Sue said.

"Sue? Hey, it's Lip Gallagher." 

"Lip....Oh! Phillip! You looking for Ian? I think he's in the locker room, hold on, I'll have one of the men-"

"No, no, no! It's fine, really." Lip interrupted.

"Huh? Why'd you call then?" Sue sounded impatient.

"I just....well, we haven't seen Ian in five days and I was beginning to worry about him...Is he, uh, you know....okay?" Lip asked. 

Sue was quiet. She considered the words and thought about Ian's behavior for the past couple of days. "Thank you for informing me... But Ian has been on his best behavior. A little antsy sometimes and eager to get out in the work field but he hasn't given me any indication he's under stress. I also remind him to take his medication and he does so without complaint."

Lip sighed in relief, "Thanks Sue, you're a Godsend."

"Yeah, whatever. Is that it?" 

Lip could hear the smile in her voice. "Yeah, that's it. Thanks again and sorry for disturbing your schedule. Take care." Lip hung up the phone. He walked into the living room and checked on Franny, who was sleeping peacefully in her crib. He laid down on the couch and switched the cartoons to the news channel. He crossed his arms underneath his head and watched whatever worldwide news headline was being discussed. 'Hmm...wonder if he needs clothes, that duffel bag wasn't very big to begin with' he thought to himself. Lip picked up his beer from the floor and sipped on it, the news wasn't too interesting but he did pay attention to the stock market numbers.

After Debbie got home, Lip passed Franny off to her and he went upstairs. Babies were draining, especially when they already knew how to crawl and get into virtually EVERYTHING. He was going to suggest Debbie baby proof the place, or maybe he'd do it if Franny took a long nap tomorrow. Lip went straight to his bed and he curled up underneath a blanket. It didn't take long for the curly blonde to fall asleep; he vaguely heard Fiona enter the house, bitching about Frank forgetting Liam at school again. 

Lip woke up in the middle of the night to take a piss. He glanced to his left and saw Liam sleeping on the top bunk; the kid alternated between the top and bottom bunk, depending on his mood. Lip rubbed his eyes and he glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It read as 1:20AM. "Shit it's early." Lip mumbled, he was hoping to sleep in till tomorrow morning. He grumbled his irritation and got up from bed. He only had on his boxer briefs on as he silently padded down the hall towards the bathroom. 

Somebody was groaning.

Lip stopped dead in his tracks he glanced to the right at Ian's door, which was unexpectedly ajar. 

In the dark, Lip could make out two figures on the bed and the man was groaning a little too loudly. 'The hell!? Are there people really fucking on Ian's bed?' Lip thought. Anger began to swell in his chest. It was probably Frank and some prostitute he picked up from the streets. Lip pushed Ian's door open and stepped inside while flicking the light on. "Get the fuck out-"

Lip trailed off. He was in disbelief at the sight before him.

Ian was on his stomach with his ass in the air and his legs spread wide on the bed. The redhead was purposely positioned on his bed so his spread legs and rear were the first things to be seen, while his head rested on the bed, closest to the wall. Ian was rocking his hips back and forth and as he did this, he pumped two fingers inside himself. He was groaning with each hip thrust and he pushed his fingers all the way in, till he was knuckle-deep. 

Lip was at a loss for words. Even with the light on and the door opening up with it's annoying creak, Ian continued to pleasure himself. "Ian what the fuck?" Lip tried to sound like he was repulsed but there was no emotion whatsoever behind his words.

Ian didn't stop, in fact, he started to move his hips faster. "Lip....fuck, harder, please~"

The comment made Lip's cock twitch. "Knock it off Ian, I''m fucking serious." This time he raised his voice.

Ian either didn't hear or he chose to ignore his older brother. He started working in a third finger, causing him to grit his teeth. "Fuck Lip, you're so big~"

That was it. Lip had enough. He walked to the bed and shoved Ian onto his side, "FUCKING STOP THAT SHIT!" Lip shouted.

Ian flopped down onto his right side and he slowly removed his hand from within himself. 

Lip's anger drained immediately when he saw Ian's expression.

The redhead struggled to sit up on the bed. His eyes were red and puffy, as though he were crying for hours earlier. Now, the tears started again and they trickled down sharp cheekbones. He looked at his brother, seemingly upset. "I'm sorry....God, I'm so fucking sorry. I know it's wrong to feel this way about you...but I can't...I can't get you out of my head Lip. I'm fucked up, probably the most fucked up out of this entire family." Ian wiped the back of is hand across his eyes. 

Lip was silent.

Ian averted his gaze and he scooted to the edge of the bed. "I don't want to make things uncomfortable for you. I'll leave right now." Ian stood up.

Lip stepped to the side of Ian and he turned and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Ian stepped towards his dresser.

Lip reached out and gripped Ian's wrist to stop him.

Ian stopped and he glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

"You can leave...after you take care of this." Lip motioned with a head tilt towards the noticeable tent in his boxer briefs. 

Ian's eyes widened. "The hell are you-"

"Hands and knees. Right now." Lip said calmly but there was underlining power of authority to his voice. He was, after all, the eldest male Gallagher sibling. 

Ian didn't dare disobey the command. He turned around and stood right in front of Lip before lowering himself to his hands and knees. 

Lip spread his legs.

Ian moved closer, never breaking eye-contact with the other male.

Lip reached down and he tugged his boxer briefs down, just enough to release his throbbing member. 

Ian stared. He was in awe by the sight. All of his erotic fantasies could never prepare him for the sheer size of Lip's cock; it was 8 inches in length, an inch shorter then Ian's but the girth.... Holy fuck, Lip was exceptionally heavy and wide. Ian bit down on his bottom lip, he could only imagine how that cock would wreck him if it was inside.

Lip smirked at Ian's dazed expression. He leaned forward and rested his hand on the back of Ian's head. "Do a good job and I'll consider bending you over this bed."

Ian snapped out of the trance and nodded eagerly. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and his lips parted. He closed the gap by engulfing the head of Lip's cock inside his mouth.

Lip kept his hand against Ian's head and he remained perfectly still, allowing his brother to set the pace.

Ian closed his eyes, reveling in the taste. He inched down, further and further.

Lip tried not to tense up.

Ian thought he could take Lip in one go, but he was exceptionally large and he couldn't get the remaining length inside his mouth without making himself choke. So, he pulled back and went down again. He started building up a steady rhythm and bobbed up and down his brother's length, sucking and licking at the thick veins. 

Lip's hand trembled behind Ian's head, while the other grabbed a fistful of bed sheets. He started rocking his hips just a little, it was unbelievable how good Ian was at giving head. "Fuck Ian.....You're perfect.....that fucking mouth." Lip's voice was deep and his eyes were glossed over with lust.

Ian hummed, happy about the approval. If anyone was good at sucking dick...Ian obviously surpassed his brother in that department. Ian began moaning and he sucked harder, trying his best to deep throat Lip's cock without gagging.

"OOohh, fuck." Lip's head rolled back and this time he started bucking his hips a bit faster, a bit harder. All of Lip Gallagher's common sense went out the window the second he entered Ian's room. He could've left well enough alone but no....something inside him wanted to pursue whatever dark fantasies Ian was harboring and bring them to life. He wanted to feel what Ian was feeling and rather then guilt or shame, Lip was fucking loving this. His own baby brother was now sucking his dick off and he was Goddamn good at it, far better then any woman whoever gave him head before. 

Ian began to move his head faster, he was obviously growing comfortable with Lip's massive length stretching out his throat; he could it feel it pushing the walls of his throat but he had decent control over his gag reflex. He managed to flick his tongue out and lick the base of Lip's cock; the red muscle moved around Lip's sack. 

This was too fucking good. Ian was too fucking good. 

'Fuck my life', Lip thought. He placed his other hand on Ian's head and he gripped handfuls of red hair and held him in place. He started pumping his hips into Ian's mouth, essentially face fucking his own little brother to get off. 

Ian didn't protest, nor did he attempt to pull away. He held perfectly still and focused his gaze on Lip's face.

Lip stared down into those familiar green eyes and he saw something.... 

Complete adoration and devotion.

Something Lip didn't see often...or ever.

Lip closed his eyes and he let out a pleasured moan. His hip movements stuttered and he cursed under his breath as his cock started twitching inside Ian's mouth.

Ian felt hot liquid hit the back of his throat. Tears pricked his eyes. He remained where he was, wanting to drink up Lip's load like a good little brother.

Liam, the youngest of the Gallaghers, was standing by the bed and staring down at his elder brother. He changed out of his school uniform earlier and was now dawning blue pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt.

Lip was moaning and dry humping a pillow. "Ian...oh fuck Ian~"

This made the young boy giggle. 

Lip's eyes shot open and he stopped moving. He stared at Liam. 

Liam pointed an index finger at Lip, "Ewww were you having a wet dream? You were like, 'OHHH IAN OOHHH' " 

"Get the fuck outta here you little shit!" Lip grabbed his pillow.

Liam squealed with laughter and he took off running out of the room.

Lip chucked the pillow at his younger brother.

Liam managed to turn and dart into the bathroom.

The pillow landed in the middle of the hallway.

Liam stepped out and he stuck his tongue out at Lip. "Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me~ oh but I'm not Ian though."

Lip felt a vein twitch on the right side of his forehead. He sat up and grabbed a shoe.

"AHHH FIONA!!!" Liam was giggling as he raced down the hall and down the stairs.

Lip set the shoe down and he got up from bed. He walked over to the bedroom door and slammed it shut, only to lock it. He glanced at the time: 7:00PM. Only two hours passed since Lip retired to his bedroom. "Fuck." Lip turned the light on and he glanced down at his boxer briefs. There was a large wet area that dampened the front of his underwear. Shit. He really DID have a wet dream and he came all over himself. Lip took the soiled underwear off and tossed it in the hamper. He put on a clean pair of boxer briefs and then went over to the window to open it. Lip grabbed his cigarettes and he lit one. He stood there and quietly took drags of his cigarette. He watched a few people walking by, including the occasional car that zoomed through the roads a little too fast; probably teens drinking. 

Lip replayed the dream in his head but no matter how hard he tried to rationalize it, he couldn't come up with a good reason as to why he had the disturbing wet dream. He didn't think of Ian like that....fuck, he wasn't gay! He liked pussy, the taste of it, the smell, the way it wrapped around his cock, there was no way Ian's mouth felt better then that....he just imagined it would. "Buy WHY did you imagine it would?" He said aloud. 

Lip didn't have an answer.

"Man.... I'm really demented." Lip mumbled, taking yet another drag of nicotine. He was calm now but no less confused. He spit on the tip of the cigarette before tossing it out the window. He needed one more....and possibly 10 shots of whiskey later. "Ian....what the fuck did you put in my head?" Lip whispered, followed by lighting another cigarette.

One thing was certain, Lip would HAVE to talk to Ian now and clear the air. He wasn't attracted to Ian, and obviously Ian wasn't attracted to him.

It was misguided curiosity, stemming from childhood trauma and recent stressors.

That's it. 

Simple explanation for bizarre sex fantasies. 

At least, that's what Lip wanted to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stayed up late writing, so I apologize for the grammatical errors and such. Will edit tomorrow.
> 
> Any thoughts? 
> 
> Dislikes or likes?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lip and Ian try to make their awkward situation work.

Trevor is in the middle of preparing coffee when he hears a knock at the door. 

Ian is sprawled on the couch in just his boxers. The knocking makes him sit up and peer over from the living room. "You expecting anyone?"

"No and today is my day off. Hmm, wouldn't make sense to come to my house when a phone call could suffice." Trevor set the bag of coffee grounds down and walked over to the front door. He peered out of the door viewer. "Oh...it's Lip."

Ian immediately tensed up. He clambered off the couch and raced to Trevor's room "I'm not here" he whispered urgently. He disappeared around the hall. 

Trevor almost laughed but he quickly shook his head and composed himself. He unlocked the door and opened it; good thing he was fully dressed, he was insecure about his chest scars. "Lip! Good morning, what can I do for you?" He stepped outside onto the porch.

Lip eyed Trevor up and down, there was a cigarette propped in the right corner of his mouth. Lip always thought Ian had weird taste in men. Besides Caleb, Ian appeared to go for short guys and Trevor was the most effeminate looking ones so far. Dainty hands, thin arms and legs, if Lip didn't know any better....Ian had an underlining attraction towards 'girly' men. In his opinion, Ian deserved a masculine man with a good job, a house, a car, and intelligence to boot. This Trevor guy was a dude with lady parts and that's all Lip could focus on. How did they have sex again? Did Ian fuck Trevor in his girl pussy?

"Um...hello?" Trevor waved his hand in front of Lip's face.

Hazel-blue eyes blink and Lip is pulled from his thoughts. "Hey, uh, I thought maybe Ian was running low on clothes so I brought these." Lip removed a blue duffel bag from his shoulder and he held it out to Trevor. 

"Oh my God, thank you!" Trevor reached out and gripped the strap before hoisting the duffel bag over his shoulder. "Ian's been borrowing my clothes and he's stretching them out something horrible."

Lip chuckled and he took his cigarette out of his mouth, flicking ashes to the side. "So he IS here huh? He doing okay?"

Trevor nodded. "Yes, he's been here the whole time." The man paused, glanced up, and considered Lip's second question.

Lip took a drag of his cigarette, feeling somewhat anxious when Trevor paused.

"He said, and I'm quoting his words, 'fucked up'. I've pressed him for further details but he won't discuss what happened at home. Did Ian get into an argument with you or Fiona?" Trevor looked back to Lip.

"Yeah, he came home drunk and was belligerent as hell. He tried to fight Fiona and I had to step in and wrestle him down. When he finally came to, I think he was embarrassed... So he took off before we had a chance to talk." Lip spewed the lie effortlessly, knowing Ian wouldn't deny it. He had a feeling Ian wasn't comfortable telling Trevor what REALLY happened. To think, Ian was probably fucking Trevor while fantasizing about his sibling instead. The thought was amusing and it made Lip smirk ever so slightly.

Trevor nodded, "I thought so...I mean, I didn't think it was THAT bad but he's under the impression all of you are angry with him?"

Ian was peering around the hallway, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Lip looked over Trevor when he saw a flash of red.

Ian ducked out of view.

Trevor noticed the shift in Lip's gaze and it made him chuckle lightly. "If you're going to say something, say it really loud okay?"

Lip looked back to Trevor and he understood what he was getting at. He cleared his throat and spoke a little too loudly. "If you see Ian around...Let him know I miss-WE miss him at home. We're not mad and nobody is gonna judge him. We're looking forward to having him home again."

Trevor smiled and he stepped back inside the house. "You got it!" He said in an overly enthusiastic tone. He shut the door with a quiet click.

Lip rolled his eyes, he found Trevor kind of annoying. He turned and descended the few steps and then made his way to the sidewalk. 

Trevor turned around and made his way to the hallway.

Ian was seated in the middle of the hallway with his back to the wall. He had his legs pulled up and he let his arms dangle off them. He glanced up when Trevor approached. 

Trevor's smile softened and he put the duffel bag down. He moved next to his boyfriend and sat down beside him. "See? I told you, your family loves and misses you."

Ian didn't say anything.

Trevor leaned over and he cupped Ian's chin, moving it to the right so the redhead would face him. "Ian, please go see your family."

Ian stared into Trevor's eyes. He considered it.....then nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks babe." Trevor leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.

Ian placed a hand behind Trevor's neck, pulling him even closer to deepen the kiss. Ian was nervous about going home and he was going to do his best to distract Trevor in hopes he wouldn't have to go. 

V and Kev came over for 'Sunday Funday', or in other words, beer and poker; they had to use the fun term so Liam wouldn't go around repeating it to his classmates. It was close to 10:00pm when everyone threw their money down and chips were exchanged. Lip was better at math so he kept track of the chips and was the first dealer. All of the Gallaghers were seated at the kitchen table, except for Franny and Liam, both of whom were sleeping upstairs. 

"I swear this game is fucking rigged..." Debbie mumbled, she was frowning at her cards.

Lip smirked and he flicked his ashes into a plastic tray. "The game is 25% luck, 25% skill, and 50% bullshitting. Come on Debs, you should be a pro by now."

Debbie silently mouthed the word 'fuck you'.

V giggled, "HAHA! Well I know I'M GOOD! Fucking money is gonna be mine~" She took a drink of her beer and tossed 4 blue chips. "I'mma raise yo asses."

Kev shook his head and groaned. "Fuck it, I'm out." He tossed his cards on the table.

The front door opened and closed.

Everybody paused and looked.

Ian entered the living room and he set down two duffel bags. "Hey..." He awkwardly raised his hand.

"Fucken ayez, the prominent son returns!" Kev yelled.

V snapped her eyes and stared at Kev with a look of disbelief. "It's prodigal son, the fuck kinda church you go to?"

"Prodigal? That sounds like a made up word." Kev shrugged, "Welcome back Ian, ya gonna jump in?"

"Yeah Ian come join us." Fiona patted the empty chair next to her.

Ian approached and he glanced around the table, making sure to avoid eye-contact with Lip. "How much is the buy in?"

"That would be $5.00" Lip said, he shuffled a deck of cards and focused on those.

"5.00? I can do that." Ian walked over and slid into the empty seat next to Fiona. He unzipped his jacket and pushed a bill over towards Lip.

Lip reached out, picked up the bill, then handed Ian two piles of poker chips.

"Whooo! More money for me!" V cheered.

"Oh you wish." Fiona said with a playful grin.

"Uh oh, it's on now!" Kev said in a teasing voice.

Lip smiled a little and before making any more moves, he addressed his brother. "So uh, we good Ian?"

Everyone hushed. 

Ian felt uncomfortable in the silence but he lifted his gaze and looked at Lip.

Lip stared back, waiting patiently.

Ian nodded, "Yeah, we're good."

Fiona smiled from ear to ear, she was happy to have Ian home again. "Hurry it up Lip, ya gonna pussy out or raise?"

Lip scoffed and he threw down 4 blue chips, "The only pussy here is Kev."

Everybody howled with laughter.

"Hey I resent that, it's very sexist." Kev huffed up defensively.

Ian laughed at the remark and when it was his turn, he threw down 4 blue chips. He glanced up to see Lip smiling at him. This made the redhead blush a little but he smiled nonetheless.

Everything was as it should be in the Gallagher house.

Days went by and it would appear life returned to normal.

Well..... Minus the unresolved sexual tension. 

A number of incidents would occur and some are easier to ignore, while others are not.

Incident 001: The Gallagher siblings were rushing to get ready but it was difficult with the water being out. 

"What the hell? Ian I thought you put $20 down last week!" Fiona was rushing to pack Liam lunch.

"I did!" Ian was racing around the living room in search of his work shoes.

"Uh, you only get to do that 3 times before they cut you off." Lip commented, he was holding Franny while Debbie was upstairs getting ready.

"Has it been 3 times?" Fiona paused and tried to remember. "Fuck it. I'll request an early check and pay the bill in full this afternoon." She reached out, yanked the fridge door open, and sighed in frustration. "We're out of groceries too....shit." She grabbed an ice cold coke and set it on the counter. "Last pop!" she yelled.

Ian walked into the kitchen.

Lip moved the counter.

Both Gallagher brothers reached for the pop and their hands brushed.

Lip and Ian's hands recoiled like they touched something hot.

"Go ahead, you can have it." Ian said quickly.

"Naa, it's yours bro." Lip stepped away.

"No really, it's fine." Ian insisted.

Lip shook his head, "I'm good."

Fiona frowned at the two and rolled her eyes. "I'll have it then!" She grabbed the ice cold coke and yelled for Liam to hurry it up.

Lip and Ian stood in awkward silence.

Incident 002: After the water bill is paid, everyone gets in line to shower. Lip is one of the last ones and by then the water is luke warm. He doesn't complain, however, and proceeds to wash up. 

Ian wanders into the bathroom to take a piss. 

In the Gallagher house it's not uncommon to leave the bathroom door unlocked. There was one too many incidents with Debbie and Carl (when they were young), so the family resorted to keeping the bathroom easily accessible. 

Ian is unaware of who is in the shower but he doesn't care right now; one too many beers had him desperate to take a piss. He unzipped his pants and urinated in the toilet.

The water suddenly turns ice cold, causing Lip to curse. "FUCK!!!" He grabbed the shower curtain and pulled it open, only to hop out and nearly slip.

With his dick in his hand, Ian turned to see a naked Lip Gallagher.

Lip's eyes widened and he glanced down at Ian's hand.

Ian's face flushed crimson. He turned around and rushed out of the bathroom, attempting to shove his dick back inside his pants. He went into his bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Lip was at a loss for words. He never, EVER, saw Ian get that flustered before. He glanced down and noticed his semi-erection, causing him to curse again. "Fuck..." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He flushed the toilet Ian left unattended and then made his way to his bedroom.

Incident 003: It's a Saturday morning and with her day off, Fiona decided to cook brunch. 

Lip is sitting at the kitchen table, a newspaper in his lap.

Ian is in the kitchen, assisting Fiona with the pancakes and bacon.

"Ian flip it or you're gonna burn it!" Fiona urged.

"Haha, I KNOW how to cook Fiona. You made the batter too thick, it's gotta cook a little longer." Ian said.

"Hmph, well it's been awhile since I had a day off." Fiona opened up the fridge and grabbed a can of whip cream. 

Lip chuckled at the banter and he set the newspaper down. He picked up a box of cigarettes and pulled one out. He plopped it in his mouth and searched for his matches.

Fiona was smiling mischievously while removing the cap from the whip cream.

Ian was distracted as he flipped over a couple pancakes.

Lip struck a match and looked up to see Fiona aiming the can of whip cream at Ian.

"I think those pancakes need a little WHIP CREAM!" Fiona sprayed Ian with whip cream.

Ian flinched at first, then he started laughing. "You bitch!" He let go of the spatula and held up his hand to try and shield himself.

Fiona cackled.

Ian lunged forward and grabbed the whip cream can.

Fiona let go and she sprinted out of the kitchen to avoid getting sprayed.

Ian didn't pursue. He lowered the can and shouted, "Yeah you better run!" Ian shook his head with a smile and set the can down. He glanced at his hand, which was coated in whip cream. Without a second thought, Ian raised his hand and flicked his tongue out. He started from the base of his hand and ran his tongue up along his palm, lapping up the sweet cream.

Lip watched Ian, his eyes widened a little.

Ian reached the end of his index finger and he curled it, sucking on the tip to get the remaining whip cream off.

"OW FUCK!" Lip ended up burning his fingers. He threw the match down.

Ian blinked and he looked over at Lip. "You okay?"

'Fuck no', Lip thought. He averted his gaze, "Yup, I'm good. I'll go see if Debbie and Liam are awake." Lip used the newspaper to cover his erection when he stood. He hurriedly left the kitchen and went upstairs. 

Incident 004: "Oh come on...." Lip sighed impatiently and he decided to go through the dresser one more time. It was no use, Lip was officially out of clean underwear. "....Damnit." Lip looked over at Liam's dresser. He reluctantly walked over to the smaller dresser and he opened up the first drawer. Lip grabbed a pair of Spiderman briefs but they were incredibly tiny. Lip rolled his eyes, he might as well castrate himself if he tried to put them on. He tossed them back and closed the dresser.

Well, Lip was in quite the conundrum. He had another one of those 'dreams' again last night, the one with Ian sucking him off. He made a mess in his boxer briefs and was in need of a clean, dry pair. "Hmm, Ian should be up by now." Lip mumbled. He hated the idea of asking his own brother to borrow a set of underwear but there was no way he was going to free ball it today. Lip put on a black t-shirt and a pair of blue Nike trunks. He left his room and made his way down the hallway. 

Lip reached Ian's door and he could see the light was off. Lip swallowed the lump in his throat and he knocked on Ian's door. "Hey...You awake?"

There was movement inside the bedroom, followed by Ian's voice. "Yeah, come in."

Lip opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. He flicked the lights on and noticed Ian was laying down in his bed, covered up with blankets. "Oh hey, I need to borrow a pair of-"

Lip stops when he notices a familiar pair of boxer briefs in the corner of Ian's room, below the window. 

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Ian said, he felt his heart race when Lip fell silent.

Lip ignored Ian and he walked across the floor towards the window. He leans down and picks up the boxer briefs. He stands and examines the stained underwear, which was stiff to the touch. This was the same exact pair Lip wore two nights ago, it was another result of a wet dream. But why did Ian have it? Lip stared at his younger brother. "Are you using my underwear to masturbate?"

Ian held his breath. He didn't answer.

'Stubborn as usual', Lip thought. He walked over to the bedroom door and pushed it until it closed with a click.

Ian rolled over to see if Lip left. When he saw his older brother standing there, the redhead bolted up into a sitting position. The blankets fell off Ian's upper body to reveal he was shirtless, but he was wearing a black pair of trunks. "What are you doing?"

Lip dropped the soiled underwear onto the floor, turned around, and walked to the bed. 

Ian tensed up.

Lip climbed onto the bed and he sat down next to his brother.

Ian didn't budge.

Lip looked at his brother, "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right."

"Huh?" Ian blinked.

"When's the last time you been tested?" Lip asked calmly.

Ian nearly choked on his own spit. He coughed a few times before answering, "I-its been awhile, but I always use condoms."

Lip nodded, "Even so....get tested and I will too. When that's out of the way, we can pick a day."

"A day for what?" Ian asked, he was skeptical.

"To fuck each other." Lip said, again he was calm and direct.

Ian was stunned into silence. He was almost tempted to throw himself out of the window to see if this was a dream or not. He didn't know what to say. How the hell was he supposed to respond TO THAT?!

Lip smirked at Ian's shocked expression. The older sibling leaned forward and he pressed his lips to Ian's ear, "In the meantime...you any good at hand jobs?"

Ian visibly shivered when he felt Lip's hot breath against his ear. Afraid his voice would squeak or waver, Ian only nodded.

"Good, sit by me." Lip scooted to the edge of the bed and he let his feet rest on the bedroom floor. He patted the area next to his right.

Ian obediently moved to sit next to his brother, mimicking the same position he was sitting in.

Without saying anything, Lip reached down and hooked his fingers underneath Ian's trunks. He pulled them down enough to release Ian's erection.

Ian shivered when the cold air hit him; he was fully hard. Curious, Ian reached over and gripped Lip's trunks, only to pull them down until his hard dick sprang free. "Holy shit Lip, you're fucking huge." 

"Yeah? Well you're not too shabby yourself." Lip wrapped his hand around Ian's dick and he rubbed his thumb over the slit, smearing pre-cum in the process. Lip wasn't bothered by the fact Ian's dick was slightly longer then his, but Lip had more girth. 

Ian gasped. He wiggled his hips against Lip's hand before reaching over and wrapping his left hand around Lip's cock, giving a few test strokes.

Lip tensed up and he closed his eyes. "Fuck...." It felt so good, far better then he could ever imagine or dream up. He thought he might be disgusted if he ever let Ian touch him like this but it was the opposite. It felt pleasing and almost...natural. Lip gave a few hip thrusts against his brother's hand.

Ian loved Lip's reaction, it prompted him to let go and raise his hand to his mouth. Ian spit into the palm of his hand and then he grabbed Lip's cock again. He started stroking him, slicking him up in the process. Ian leaned down and he rested his left cheekbone against Lip's shoulder. "Is....is this okay?" Ian tilted his head so that his lips brushed Lip's neck.

"Mm...." Lip bucked his hips and he started to build up a rhythm that matched Ian's hand. "Y-yeah, it's fine." Lip could barely talk without his voice threatening to give out. The redhead was profusely leaking pre-cum that there was no need for Lip to provide extra lubricant. Within a matter of seconds, Lip had Ian's dick coated in his own pre-cum. His worked his hand up and down, flicking his wrist as he did so. 

Ian trembled against his brother.

Lip nuzzled his face against Ian's hair. 

Ian started to pump his hips faster. He pressed his face closer to Lip's neck, taking in a deep breath and inhaling his older brother's scent.

The gesture made Lip buck his hips harder. With his nose buried in Ian's red locks, Lip inhaled a deep breath. He caught the scent of something sweet and earthy, ginger maybe. Whatever it was, Lip fucking loved it. 

Ian moaned softly, "Lip~" His hips stuttered as he came all over Lip's hand.

That moan did it, it pushed Lip over the edge. He bit down on his bottom lip and grunted. He felt his cock twitch in Ian's hand before ejaculating. 

The two siblings continued to jerk each other off, each enjoying their climax to the fullest.

When Lip slowed down and stopped, Ian did the same.

They both sat in silence with their hands wrapped around each other's wet cocks.

Lip pressed a kiss to Ian's head and then he removed his hand. 

The loving gesture made Ian blush. He sat up and lowered his hand as well. 

Lip glanced around with his right hand in the air. 

Ian leaned down and grabbed a dirty t-shirt. He wiped his hand clean first and then held out to Lip.

"Thanks." Lip took the shirt and used the dry side to wipe his hand off.

"Lip?" 

Lip looked at his brother. "Yeah?"

"That....that felt really good but...I'm in a relationship." Ian glanced away, the guilt was written all over his face.

Lip tossed the shirt on the floor, "Yeah, I know. Tell me something Ian, when you and Trevor are fucking, do you ever pretend it's me?"

Ian's face turned a darker shade of red, so much in fact that it matched his hair color. He bit down on his bottom lip and refused to answer.

Lip smirked at the reaction, Ian's silence said enough. "Look, I'm not gonna force you to do something you don't wanna do. Obviously our morals are pretty fucked up." Lip stood up from the bed and tucked his dick inside his trunks. 

Ian reached out and he grabbed Lip by his wrist.

Lip paused and looked at Ian.

"I...I'm scared because I want to....I really, really want to Lip." Ian stared nervously into those hazel blue eyes.

Lip smiled and he turned his hand over and squeezed Ian's hand reassuringly. "If I had to be honest....I'm fucking terrified."

Ian's eyes widened in awe. He never saw vulnerability in his brother, no, that wasn't Lip. Lip Gallagher was the smartest and bravest man Ian had ever come to know. He felt blessed that this strong man was his older brother and Ian would do absolutely anything for him. Whether or not these feelings were misplaced, Ian was dying to know what Lip was like in bed. Would it finally end the immoral infatuation? Perhaps it would and then things could go back to normal. 

Ian stood up and he moved over to his brother and leaned down, pressing his forehead against Lip's own.

Lip smirked a little and he tilted his head to look up at Ian. "Just because you're taller doesn't mean I can be intimidated."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ian smiled. 

Lip's heart fluttered when he saw that smile. He swallowed and cleared his throat, "Say uh, you got any clean underwear I can borrow?"

Ian gave an embarrassed laugh, "Ha....I ran out last night."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian gets tested. Lip pulls a disappearing act. Everyone is worried as fuck.... But, things fall into place somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “That’s what Jamie didn’t understand: it was never just sex. Even the fastest, dirtiest, most impersonal screw was about more than sex. It was about connection. It was about looking at another human being and seeing your own loneliness and neediness reflected back. It was recognizing that together you had the power to temporarily banish that sense of isolation. It was about experiencing what it was to be human at the basest, most instinctive level. How could that be described as just anything?”
> 
> ― Emily Maguire, Taming the Beast

Ian raised his hand and knocked on Debbie's door.

"Come in!"

The redhead stepped inside with a basket of clothes resting against his left hip. "Lip is gonna start laundry, you got anything that needs washing?"

"Oh my God, yes I do!" Debbie got up from her bed and walked over to her closet.

"Heh, what happened to independent sleeping habits? You were complaining about parents co-sleeping with their kids the other day." Ian could see Franny's tiny body underneath a light blanket on Debbie's bed; she was fast asleep.

"Blah, blah, blah, those parenting books are bullshit. Franny falls asleep faster next to me instead of her crib." Debbie commented. She picked up two big baskets full of dirty laundry. "Franny goes through SO much clothes I swear, three or four outfits a day is ridiculous."

".....Fiona did laundry three days ago and you two ALREADY filled up your baskets?" Ian was surprised.

"Yup, wait till you have a daughter of your own, you'll understand why she goes through so much clothes." Debbie placed the smaller basket on top of the larger. She carried them over to Ian.

"Pffft, yeah, me having a daughter... I can barely take care of myself Debs." Ian wrapped his right arm around the bottom basket and held it securely against his side. 

"Well, you never know. Maybe you'll knock Trevor up one day?" Debbie said, a cheeky smile playing about her freckled face.

"......Fuck you for putting that image in my head." Ian turned around and stepped out of the bedroom.

"Love you too~" Debbie laughed and quietly closed the door.

Ian shook his head and he mumbled incomprehensible words as he descended the stairs. He walked into the kitchen and turned to his left to see Lip bending over the dryer and throwing wet clothes inside. Ian paused and he unabashedly stared at Lip's ass.

"Take a picture it'll last longer." Lip said without glancing up.

Ian visibly blushed, "Sorry."

"I'm kidding." Lip closed the dryer door and stood up. He twisted the dial and pressed the start button. He turned around, leaned against the dryer, and focused on Ian. "You can stare all you want but everyone is gonna give you shit if you get caught." Lip smirked, "You make it pretty fucking obvious."

Ian chuckled, "Hey....I've been checking guys out since junior high, I'm pretty sure I got this game down."

"Oh so now I'm a game to you huh?" Lip raised an eyebrow.

Ian blinked and was taken back by the response. "What? No, your'e not a game. What I meant-"

"I'm fucking with you Ian, quit taking everything literally." Lip was smiling with amusement but it faded when he saw the three baskets. "Holy shit...." He glanced down at the other three baskets of laundry on the floor; one was his, the other Liam's, and the third belonged to Fiona. "Fuck, I'm gonna be busy all day. I think there's enough detergent to get this all done."

Ian lowered all the baskets to the floor, "I can buy more after work."

"When do you have to go in?" 

"Uh....Sue is gonna be here in twenty minutes to pick me up." Ian glanced at the clock hanging above the kitchen table.

"Oh...alright, well have a good day at work I guess. Don't go killing anyone." Lip turned around and opened up the washer.

"Yeah, I'll try." Ian's tone was a little on the monotone side. He found himself waiting and watching his older sibling.

Midway through filling the washer, Lip paused and glanced over his shoulder. "What?" He noticed Ian's unusual expression.

"Hm?" Ian snapped out of the daze and turned around, "Nothing, see ya." He left the kitchen and went upstairs to his room. 

"......" Lip furrowed his eyebrows and he went back to filling the washer. He measured out the appropriate amount of liquid detergent then poured it inside the machine. He closed the lid and hit the start button.

Ian changed into his work uniform while cursing under his breath. "Stupid....what the hell were you thinking? He wasn't going to kiss you....he's not... them." Ian sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed. He felt stupid right now and embarrassed that he actually hoped for a kiss before going to work. He slipped one sock on at a time, his mind wandering back to Kev's words. 

(Flashback of the conversation with Kev) "You’re not interested in a relationship with this guy, that’s what you got Trevor for. You just need to know what this other guy is like in bed and once you find out, you can focus on yourself and Trevor."

Ian ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah...I can focus on Trevor once this is out of the way." Ian stared at the bedroom door but he was really looking past it. He could visualize Mickey telling him to have a good day at work and kissing him on the lips. Caleb always did that too, he'd grab Ian by his hips and kiss him soft and sweet, before wishing him a good day at work. Trevor was cute, he'd kiss Ian on both cheekbones and say 'Have a good day babe'. Was Ian really THAT needy for affection? "God...I'm worse then a fucking woman," he mumbled. He almost heard that in Carl's voice, he'd probably tell Ian to yank out his tampon and man the fuck up. 

A car horn honked outside.

"Shit!" Ian got up from his bed and quickly slipped his work shoes on without tying them. He grabbed his duffel bag, raced downstairs, and left through the front door.

Lip was sitting at the table with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He lifted his gaze when he saw a flash of red and blue, only to hear the front door slam shut. He chuckled and turned his attention back to open newspaper on the table. He was looking at the job listings and he saw one for a few dishwashers at the restaurant Fiona worked at. Lip had two more weeks before the impending meeting with the college board of officials. He had yet to share this information with Ian and Fiona but Lip was stubborn, a classic Gallagher trait. He could handle this on his own. 

The first half of Ian's work shift went by fast. They had no fatalities, so far, and only four transports. A relatively easy day when it came to the chaotic life of Chicago's first responders.

"You're in a good mood. I take it you and Trevor have been engaged in hot make-up sex?" Sue quirked an eyebrow.

Ian blushed slightly but laughed nonetheless. "Sue, that's borderline sexual harassment."

"You feel harassed? Uh oh, better report it to your supervisor." Sue pretended to answer her cell phone. "Oh what's that Ian? Sue asked you a personal question? Oh no! I'll write her up right now and fire her. Yes, thank you for reporting this. Bye." She lowered the cell phone and smirked at Ian. "There, it's been reported."

"Yeah okay smart ass." Ian rolled his eyes, "And yes, if you really wanna know."

"Ahhh, I remember those days. Nothing better then make-up sex. Guilt always makes things feel a hundred times better." Sue pulled into the parking lot at their station. 

"Really? You think so?" Ian never considered that. His mind drifted back to this morning's mutual hand job with Lip.... It DID feel really good, one of the best hand jobs he ever received. It wasn't really cheating.... Was it? He didn't kiss Lip and neither one stuck their dicks inside each other. But he was dating Trevor so.... 'I'm an awful boyfriend', Ian thought with a sigh.

Sue sensed the subtle change in Ian's attitude. She parked the ambulance and killed the engine. "Yeah, guilt makes sex feel amazing but it makes everything else blow. Whatever you got hanging over your conscious, it's better to fess up right away. I'm sure Trevor would find it in his heart to forgive you." 

Ian couldn't get over Sue's intuitive skills, they were downright scary and impressive. Maybe that's why she was the supervisor and she had an impeccable record out in the field; she NEVER lost anyone in the seventeen years she's worked. Ian had nothing but respect for her, even though she could be hard ass sometimes. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"Mhmm, see you in an hour." Sue opened up her door and climbed out of the vehicle.

Ian nodded, "See ya." He got out of the passenger side and closed the door. To save on time, Ian took off down the sidewalk at a jogging pace. He moved along the sidewalk and dodged pedestrians as he made his way to the free clinic. It took him about ten minutes to get there and to his relief, there wasn't too much people in today. He walked up to registration and checked in. When asked about the purpose of his visit, he stated his need to see a public health nurse. God this felt weird to the redhead, he hadn't gotten tested since high school. It was right before he started fucking Cash, the older man wanted to make sure Ian was 'clean' before their relationship got physical. 

After filling out the necessary paper, Ian took a seat. He twiddled his thumbs together and glanced around. He saw a number of magazines and brochures addressing teenage pregnancy. Ian shuddered at the idea Debbie gave him earlier. He adored children but he couldn't imagine starting a family. There was a number of things to consider, including Ian's mental health. He inherited his mother's mental illness and there was a strong chance he could pass it on to future offspring. There was also his dysfunctional childhood and upbringing, it fucked him up in a number of ways. If it wasn't for Fiona, he would've died from pneumonia, no thanks to his fucking doped out parents. Ian felt a bitter ache in his chest but it vanished when he heard his name.

"Ian Gallagher?" A nurse called.

"Right here!" Ian got up and he followed the nurse behind a secure door. They walked down a long hallway and entered a room marked twelve. 

"So what's going on today Mr. Gallagher?" The nurse held up a clipboard and gave a friendly smile.

Ian smiled back, "Uh....nothing serious, I just....wanted to get tested."

"Oh? Have you been engaged in unprotected sex?" The nurse looked at her clipboard.

"Yes." Ian nodded.

"When was the last time you engaged in unprotected intercourse and when was your last test?" 

"A week ago and ....um, I really don't know. Ten years ago? I think." Ian felt embarrassed for not knowing.

"That's fine sweetie. Do you wan't a prostate exam as well?" The nurse scribbled notes.

"No, I'm good."

"Okay." The clipboard is set down and the nurse turns. She washes her hands first then dries them off. Blue latex gloves go on her hands and she starts retrieving items from a top cupboard; a long cotton swab and a plastic test tube. She removed the plastic cover from the cotton swab and turned around to face Ian.

Ian opened his mouth.

"Oh no...sweetheart this isn't for your mouth. You need to pull down your pants." The nurse said calmly.

Ian's mouth dropped a little further. "What?"

"Wow, you really haven't gotten tested in a long time huh? In order to test for STDs, I'll need to swab the inside of your penis. I promise I'll make this quick and as painless as possible. " 

Crap. Ian was having second thoughts. Maybe he could lie and say he was tested. 'No, Lip will call bullshit as soon as he looks you in the eyes.' Ian sighed inwardly and he proceeded to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. He pulled everything down and held his breath when the air condition hit his exposed length.

"Do you want to sit on the bed or stand?" The nurse asked.

"Stand, I'll stand." Ian was visibly nervous.

"Deep breath sweetie." The nurse could feel and see tension. She approached Ian and knelt down on one knee.

Ian looked up at the florescent lights and he started taking deep breaths. He nearly flinched when he felt a gloved, cold hand grip the end of his dick.

"Okay you're going to feel pressure, ready?"

"Yeah, ready." Ian held his breath. 

Everybody that was currently in the waiting room looked up when the silence was shattered by a male voice shouting around. The registration clerks looked at each other and glanced over their shoulders, curious as to who was causing all the ruckus. One nurse paused just as she was about to call for the next patient. Several young woman and men appeared hesitant in their seats, a couple of them got up and quickly left the building.

Ian was slightly sore for the remainder of his work shift but he got through it. Sadly,it was his fault for making a simple procedure painful. He really shouldn't have moved or made a grab for the cotton swab. Sue dropped him off at home and Ian entered the house. The smell of pizza hit his nose and it made his mouth water. He forgot about the painful throbbing in his pants and he immediately made his way to the kitchen. Ian dropped his duffel bag by the washer, "Pizza hut? Since when do we have the cash to live like kings?"

"Since I got a raise." Debbie said with a smirk. "That and this nice old man kept giving me huge tips if I let him grab my ass from time to time."

".....Gross." Ian sat down at the table and he grabbed one of the pizza boxes.

"Hey at least she's not tricking herself out. Girls gotta make a living." Fiona commented. She walked over to Ian and set a cold beer down next to him. Fiona took a seat next to Debbie and she piled more bread sticks onto a plate. 

Liam was seated next to Debbie, with Franny's highchair in between the two. "What's tricking?"

"It's a sneaky trick when you play cards." Fiona answered.

"Yeah? At least I ain't stripping for dollar bills." Debbie tore off a small piece of bread stick and held it out to Franny.

"HEY!" Ian huffed up defensively, "I never got anything lower then a twenty dollar bill!"

Debbie glared at Ian, "But you still had to-"

"SHUT UP!" Fiona slammed her beer on the table.

Debbie and Ian jumped from the loud sound. Liam giggled because he found it comical when everyone else got in trouble except him.

Franny cooed and drooled from her high chair; she was gnawing on the piece of bread her mother gave her.

"Ian, you should thank your little sister for kindly ordering dinner for us tonight." Fiona took a drink of her beer.

Ian rolled his eyes but he complied with his older sister's request. "Thank you for ordering pizza Debs, I really appreciate it."

"Your welcome Ian." Debbie picked up a pepperoni pizza and took a bite.

Ian did the same. He killed off four slices of pizza, two bread sticks, five boneless wings, and washed it down with two beers. It wasn't until he was done that he noticed Lip wasn't at the table. "Where's Lip?"

"Said he was staying in the dorms tonight, he had a few students he was tutoring this evening." Fiona said.

"Oh...okay." Ian didn't recall Lip saying anything about tutoring.

"He finished all the laundry though, can you take Lip and Liam's clothes up to their room?" Fiona asked.

"Sure thing." Ian got up and he tossed his empty beer bottles into the trashcan. He walked over to the washer and dryer to grab his duffel bag. He also grabbed the two baskets, including his own, and carried them upstairs. He went into Lip and Liam's room first, only to set their laundry baskets on the beds. Ian then carried his stuff to his room and closed the door. He set everything down on the floor and went over to his bed. He crawled onto the soft mattress and laid down on his stomach, but the dull pain in his crotch made him turn over and lay on his back. He was slightly disappointed Lip wouldn't be home this evening but it couldn't be helped. Ian closed is eyes and let his thoughts wander. Within the hour, the redhead was fast asleep.

Little did the Gallagher siblings know, Lip was at a fraternity party. He agreed to go on the sole basis he would be a designated driver and paid for his services. Well, that plan went to shit FAST. Lip's college buddies peer pressured him into drinking and he gave in, a little too easily. By midnight the man was wasted and he ended up catching a ride to someone's house party. When the party was busted for a noise complaint, Lip and several others fled on foot. He didn't remember much of what happened next but somehow he ended up at a hotel party. It was in one of the presidential suites and he didn't know a single person there. He made out with an attractive blonde woman who later on convinced him to snort a few lines of Oxycontin. Lip eventually passed out in the hotel room on one of the couches. 

"Dude..." A man nudged Lip's shoulder. "Yo dude! Wake the fuck up!"

"Huh?" Lip opened his eyes but they teared up when the sunlight hit them. He closed his eyes and slowly sat up on the couch. There was a sharp pain in his head, making him groan lowly. "Where am I?"

"You're at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Suites. My friend already checked out of his room, I'm kicking everyone out before the housekeepers get here. Come on dude, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here." The man grabbed Lip by his arm and yanked up from the couch.

Lip staggered and he felt an overwhelming sense to throw up. 

"Bathroom is right over there on your left, you got two minutes." The man walked over to one of the bedrooms to kick the remaining people out.

Lip nodded but he stayed where he was and took a few, slow, deep breaths. The nausea passed and he made his way to the door. He paused and looked down at himself to do a quick intake; he had all of his clothes on, underwear and shoes included. He checked his back pockets and felt his phone in his right pocket. He sighed in relief but he was without a jacket....Wait, did he even have a jacket when he drove to the fraternity party? No, he was almost certain he didn't. It was a good thing he left his wallet at home, he was sick of replacing his IDs and lying to Fiona about how he lost his house key. 

The curly haired blonde left the hotel and checked his phone. Lip froze in the middle of the sidewalk when he saw the date. It had been five days since he hit the frat house up and played the part of worst designated driver in history. "No...fuck my life!" Lip squeezed the cell phone and his arm shook from how angry he felt. "I'm so fucking stupid...fuck, Fuck, FUUUCCCKKKK!" 

Some of the people walking along the sidewalk paused to stare at Lip.

Lip ignored them and took off walking. He went through his call list and was thankful he didn't drunk call or text anyone. He did notice, however, he had a few missed calls from Fiona and Ian. Fuck. He was going to have to come up with a clever lie to cover his ass. He erased all the voicemails without listening to them and looked up an address for the nearest subway. Fortunately, he had his metro card with him. Thank fucking God, because the walk home would take him 4 hours minimum. How on earth he managed to end up all the way across the city without any money was beyond him. Lip located the subway station and he boarded the next train. He made it home in an hour and lucky for him, everyone was at work. 

Lip showered up, brushed his teeth, popped a few generic painkillers, and retired to bed. It was only 1:00pm but the guy was physically exhausted. He fell into a deep state of sleep within minutes.

Those five days without hearing from Lip drove Ian crazy. Each passing day filled him with more anxiety. Did Lip change his mind about their... arrangement? If so, what was the reason behind it? Did Ian's hand job suck? Did he come off as too desperate? Was his behavior weird? Did Lip suddenly get a girlfriend? Or was it just cold feet? Ian made up excuses as to why he couldn't go stay with Trevor but in truth, the redhead was secretly waiting for his older brother to come home. Ian left a few a messages but he tried to make them sound casual like, 'Hey Fiona is worried and wanted me to call, let us know you're alive, haha just kidding'. That sounded fake as hell....maybe that's why Lip didn't return his calls. Ian was an emotional mess inside but he did his best not to show it.

Like her brother, Fiona was worried but for different reasons. Her maternal instincts were kicking in and she had a really bad feeling Lip was in trouble. She had this inkling for quite some time but she never brought it up with Lip. She noticed how he avoided certain subjects, especially when it pertained to college. Something was going on..... That and she could smell whiskey on Lip's breath. Not just once in awhile, but almost EVERY time he was home, there was some sort of alcohol odor lingering on him. Fiona was well aware of the fact that her and her siblings had a higher chance of turning into alcoholics or drug addicts if they weren't careful with their habits. Frank was a classic of example of what kind of person Fiona didn't want to become; she didn't wish that fate on her siblings either. Fiona called Lip several times and left a couple of messages but there was no word from Lip. Fiona was THIS close to marching down to the police department and filing a missing person report. 

Imagine the surprise when Fiona, Debbie, Franny, and Liam arrived home. 

Liam was the first to recognize his older brother's shoes. "Yay Lip is home!"

Fiona and Debbie looked at each other in surprise.

Fiona rushed upstairs and she walked into Lip's room, flicking the lights on.

Lip was curled up on his left side, sleeping away peacefully. 

"LIP!" Fiona walked up to her brother and smacked him behind the head.

Lip didn't move or respond.

".....Lip?" Fiona's angry expression faded. She walked to the other side of the bed and held her hand in front of her sibling's nose. Lip was breathing at a normal pace but it was unlike him to sleep so heavily. Lip was a light sleeper, Fiona knew that.

"Is Lip okay?" Debbie, Franny, and Liam stood outside the door.

"I don't know Debs, Ian is an EMT so when he gets off work we'll have him check Lip. Okay?" Fiona stood up, there was concern in her eyes.

Ian doesn't get home till around 10:00pm. 

Fiona is quick to give Ian a detailed update. 

Ian went upstairs to Lip's bedroom, with his older sister trailing behind him. The redhead took a seat on the edge of the bed and he dug through his duffel bag to retrieve a stethoscope, flashlight, and digital thermometer. These were all items he was supposed to keep in storage at work but Sue ordered new, updated equipment; she let Ian keep a few things in case an incident took place close to home. Ian leaned over his brother and he shined the bright flashlight in both eyes, taking note of the abnormally dilated pupils. He took Lip's blood pressure next and listened to his lungs closely. The last vital he collected was Lip's temperature and that was the only normal thing with Lip right now. 

"Well? What's your diagnosis doc?" Fiona looked at Ian. 

Ian sighed and he lifted his gaze to focus on his sister. "His temperature is good but his blood pressure is a little high. His breathing rate is far too slow for an erratic heartbeat, that and he has dilated pupils."

"Okay.....Ian, sweetie, what the fuck does that mean?"

"It means...he's comin' down from something Fi." 

The color drained from Fiona's face.

Ian's expression was solemn. He waited for Fiona to absorb the information and give her next instructions. 

"Ian...if this was one of your patients and you were on the job, what would you do?" Fiona raised her right thumb to her mouth and she nibbled on the nail; a telltale sign she was starting to grow nervous. 

Ian thought about it and answered, "I would hook him up to an IV and flush his body out with fluids. I would transport him to the hospital and recommend he be put on oxygen."

Fiona furrowed her eyebrows, visibly worried.

Ian knew why Fiona was silent and tense, it was a money issue. "But...I could call Sue up for a favor."

"Yes, please do that." Fiona nodded.

Ian took out his cell phone and he dialed Sue's number. He got up from the bed and walked over to the window as the line rang. 

"Hello?" 

"Sue! Hey uh, sorry to bother you. I...something happened to Lip and I'm need of a huge favor." Ian held his breath.

There was a long pause.

"What do you need kid?"

Ian sighed in relief. He explained Lip's condition in thorough detail and requested necessary supplies. Sue informed him that she could provide two IV bags of the necessary fluids to flush Lip's system out but she couldn't deliver oxygen tanks; they costed way too much to hand over for free. Regardless, Ian thanked her and he hung up the phone. He turned around and looked at Fiona, "She'll be here in fifteen minutes with two IV bags."

"And the oxygen?" Fiona asked.

Ian shook his head. "I can stay up with him and monitor his breathing. Sue recommends twelve hours of close observation and if he doesn't wake up by noon tomorrow, to call it in." 

"Ian you just got done with a twelve hour shift, I'll stay up with Lip." Fiona insisted.

"No, you have work in the morning, so does Debs. If Frank doesn't show up in the morning then you'e gonna have to drive Liam to school. I get tomorrow off anyway, I can handle staying up another twelve hours." Ian walked over to his sister and he put his hands on both her shoulders. He gave a gentle squeeze, "I got this. Lip is gonna be okay."

Fiona lifted her left hand and placed it over Ian's hand. "I know...he's a tough kid, he'll be alright."

"Yeah, toughest one of us all." Ian said.

That made Fiona chuckle a little.

Ian smiled, some of the tension was lifted for the both of them.

Sue showed up in exactly fifteen minutes as promised. She entered the Gallagher home and went upstairs to check the status of Lip's health. She came up with the same prognosis as Ian. Sue took it upon herself to clean Lip's right hand with alcohol pads. Then she wrapped a rubber tie around his arm and waited for the veins to become more prominent. Years of experience and skill clearly showed in the way she conducted herself. Sue located a vein on the top part of Lip's hand and inserted a length of flexible plastic tubing using a needle. She used surgical tape to hold the tubing in place and then motioned for Ian to bring the IV pole and bag.

Ian wheeled the IV pole over to Sue and he held the IV bag out to the experienced EMT.

Sue took the bag and attached the drop chamber to it. She made sure it was secure and trailed her hands down the plastic tubing to check the injection port. The next item was the roller clamp and Sue adjusted it to control the rate at which the IV fluid would flow through the tubing. Sue leaned over the unconscious male and pushed the end of the tube into the IV port on Lip's hand. 

Ian automatically checked the drip chamber to make sure it was half full; he counted the drops. "Sue, it's at 25 drops per minute."

"Okay, that's accurate. In six hours you'll need to change the IV bag out and after another six hours, remove the IV and bandage his hand. Attempt to wake him up but if he's still unresponsive, give me a call okay?" Sue stood up.

Ian nodded. "Thank you Sue."

"Yeah, no problem." Sue reached out and squeezed Ian's shoulder. She lowered her hand afterwards and walked to the bedroom door where Fiona was hovering. Sue paused, "You okay Miss Gallagher?"

"Yeah. Hey you've seen this before right? He's gonna wake up tomorrow?" Fiona's nerves were wracked with stress and it showed in her face.

Sue nodded once. "I've seen it before. I'm confident your brother will wake up tomorrow." She glanced over her shoulder at Ian, "Lip is in good hands." With that, the older woman showed herself out.

Ian unzipped his sweater and tossed it on the floor. 

"You wan't me to grab you something to eat?" Fiona asked, her gaze hovering on Lip.

"Naa, I'm good." Ian shook his head. "It's late, I'll go grab Liam."

"You know, I think I'll have Liam sleep with me tonight. I don't want him to see Lip with that needle in his hand.... It's tough on a child to see their family like this." Fiona pushed away from the wall and walked over Ian. "If you need anything come wake me up?"

"Sure thing." Ian nodded.

Fiona leaned up and kissed Ian on his left cheekbone. "I love you kid."

"Love you too." Ian smiled tiredly.

Fiona moved to the bed and she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Lip's forehead. "I love you Lip and if you can hear me, I'm gonna kick your ass when you wake up." She stood up, walked away, and closed the bedroom door behind with a soft click.

Ian unzipped his pants and slid them off. He stepped out of them, walked over to Lip's dresser, and grabbed a pair of gray sweats. He slipped them on first before peeling off his t-shirt; he liked to sleep shirtless as he had a tendency to overheat at night. Ian tossed his socks and other articles of clothing into Lip's laundry basket. He turned on a small lamp in the corner of the room before turning the bedroom lights off; the room was darker now but for the limited glow. The redhead picked up one of the pillows from Liam's bed and walked back over to Lip's bedside. The bed was wide enough for Ian to lay down on his right side and he curled his right arm underneath Liam's pillow, laying his head down. Ian's green eyes hovered on Lip's sleeping face, God, he looked perfect... "Like an angel," he mumbled. Ian reached out and brushed a few curls from Lip's face. "You're an asshole but I'm happy you're alive." 

In the background the hallway floorboards shifted. Debbie said goodnight to Fiona and Liam. 

Fiona said the same thing to Debbie and Franny.

Two bedroom doors close. 

Everything falls silent, but for a few noisy creaks of beds shifting as the siblings went to bed.

Ian rested his left had on Lip's chest; he could feel the gentle rise and fall of his brother's chest. He watched and listened. 

The hours waned on into the early morning.

Ian stayed awake during the six hour duration, barely. 

A cell phone alarm went off.

Ian twitched harder then hell and bolted up in bed. He forgot about the timer he set... Ian picked up his phone from a nearby nightstand and checked the time: 5:30am. "Fuck..." He was beyond exhausted at that point. Ian shut the alarm off, yawned loudly, and got out of bed. He moved to his duffel bag and picked up the IV bag of clear fluids resting on top of it. He replaced the nearly empty IV bag with the full one. He counted the IV drops in the chamber to make sure it was consistent. Satisfied, Ian got back into bed and he pressed two fingers against Lip's neck. It was a strong pulse and less erratic, "That's a good sign Lip..." Ian whispered. His eyelids felt unusually heavy and before he knew it, his eyes closed. 'Just rest your eyes for a few minutes', he thought. Ian shifted his hand to Lip's chest, right over his heart; he could feel a light heartbeat against his palm. That....that was comforting. Ian counted Lip's heartbeat and soon it enough it lulled him to sleep.

Around 6:30am, Fiona Gallagher entered the bedroom to check on her brothers. What she found was heartwarming and had she not be riddled with stress, she would've taken a picture. Ian was cuddled up to his brother's side with his hand resting over Lip's heart. Fiona moved closer and she listened to the sound of Lip breathing; he sounded stronger, and the color in his face returned. He didn't look as awful as he did six hours ago. Fiona was relieved and she left the room to go wake up Debbie and Liam. 

Pressure.

Pressure in the bladder. Too uncomfortable to ignore.

Lip's eyes shot open and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He was aware of another presence and looked down to see Ian sleeping away. "Ian?" As much as he wanted to stay put and figure out what happened, the bathroom was calling his name. Lip shoved the blanket off and got out of bed. "What the fuck?" Lip spotted the IV tube in his right hand. "Oh....oh shit." Lip groaned as he vaguely recalled attending a frat party. He must've blacked out again... Lip removed the surgical tape and yanked the IV out of his hand. He left the room and went straight to the bathroom. Lip tugged his trunks down and took a very much needed piss. "I'm pretty sure I made it home on my own this morning....or was it yesterday? Damn..." Lip's sense of time was blurred and disorientated. He had no fucking clue what he did while he was blacked out. He finished up, flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and went back to the bedroom.

Lip stood by his bed and stared down at Ian. He eyed the IV pole near his side of the bed and he was beginning to piece together what might have happened in the past twenty-four hours. Ian, Mr. EMT, hooked him up to an IV to flush out his system. He remembered waking up in a hospital after getting alcohol poisoning, having been hooked up to an IV in a similar fashion. He wasn't sure if waking up in his house was any better then waking up in a hospital.

"You're awake...." Ian mumbled.

Lip looked at his brother, noticing the tired smile and deep circles under the redhead's eyes. "Yeah, I'm awake." He smiled slightly.

"Good....thought I was dreaming." Ian closed his eyes.

"Naa, not a dream." Lip sat down on the bed.

"I was so worried...thought you changed your mind and disappeared on purpose." Ian said, never moving from his spot on the bed.

"Huh?" Lip was confused.

"I got tested....that very day." 

"Oh.....OH!" Realization sunk in. "Shit, Ian.....I uh, I didn't get tested yet." 

"I figured as much...still, you had us all worried." Ian inhaled and yawned.

"I know....I'm sorry, I fucked up." Lip felt guilt and shame, much like he did all those other times he woke up after blacking out. He just hated the fact Ian had to see him like that and treat him for alcohol poisoning. "Hey, I didn't forget what I told you. I'll get tested tomorrow and make it up to you, okay?"

Ian opened his eyes and he looked up at Lip. "Forget about it."

"What?" Lip felt a pain in his chest.

"I said forget about it.....we don't have to do anything." 

Lip's heart broke a little. "Ian..." 

Ian didn't say anything, those emerald eyes of his stared into his brother's hazel blue eyes.

Suddenly, Lip cupped Ian's face with both hands. He leaned down and closed the gap between their mouths.

Ian's eyes widened in shock and he froze up as a result.

Lip hovered over Ian while he spoke: "Please don't look at me like that..."

By then Ian was fully awake. He wasn't sure what Lip meant. "What do you mean?" 

"Disappointment....I know I'm a failure but I'm trying really hard to do you proud, ALL of you. I can't....I can't stand to see disappointment in your eyes when you're looking at me. It kills me Ian, it fucking kills me..." Lip's voice wavered with emotion.

"Lip..." Ian reached up and he placed both hands against his brother's face. "I'm not disappointed, really."

"Liar..." Lip smiled slightly when he felt warm hands on his face. "I wanna make it up to you, please let me?"

Ian thought about it while stroking his thumbs up and down Lip's cheekbones. "Fuck me then."

Both of Lip's eyebrows raise. "But I haven't been tested yet..."

"I know." Ian sighed dramatically and averted his gaze. "Guess I could just ask you a thousand questions like, where the fuck did you REALLY go after leaving the house? Who did you go with? Were you driving? And why didn't you call or return the messages Fiona and I-"

Lip cut his brother off by kissing him again.

"Mmmff..." Ian made sounds of protest but a smile threatened to form.

"Condom or no condom?" Lip's heart raced as he said that.

Without missing a beat, Ian responded: "No condom." He tilted his head and leaned up to nuzzle a kiss against Lip's ear. "I wanna feel your big cock inside me, every inch of it," he whispered.

The warm breath against his ear made Lip shiver, while the words traveled all the way down to his cock. "Ian....fuck."

Ian smirked triumphantly but it didn't last long. 

Lip leaned back up and he grabbed Ian by his hips, forcefully pulling him to the center of the bed. Lip pushed Ian down and made him lay on his back. Within seconds Lip was positioned between his brother's legs. He wrapped his arms Ian's legs and lifted them so that the rested over his shoulders. He let go and leaned forward, letting his hands rest against the bed on either side of Ian's head. He started to thrust his hips forward against his brother's groin.

Ian was pleasantly surprised by the aggressive behavior. He didn't protest as Lip positioned him to his liking. Ian gasped as soon as he felt Lip's crotch rub against his own. His head rolled back and he moved his hips as best as he could, building up a fast rhythm that matched his brothers.

The two men rigorously dry humped each other and within a short amount of time, each of them were achingly hard.

Ian was the first to give in and he moaned softly, "Lip....please~"

That voice.....that fucking voice. The moan was so needy and desperate, Lip thought it was insanely hot. "Ian." Lip's voice was hoarse, "Where's your lube?"

"In....in my duffel bag, on the floor." Ian raised a trembling hand and pointed to the corner of the room. 

Lip nodded and he lowered Ian's legs carefully. He crawled off the bed and took off his t-shirt, followed by his trunks and underwear. Approaching the duffel bag, he leaned down an unzipped it. He dug around for about a minute before locating a medium sized plastic bottle. He pulled it out and made sure it was lubricant and not one of Ian's medical supplies. Why in God's name was lube in his work bag was beyond Lip; he could ask about it later. Lip stood up and turned around, flicking the cap open. He poured a generous amount of clear liquid into his left hand before capping the lube and dropping it back in the bag. Lip wrapped his hand around his cock and moved it up and down, slicking his length up in the process. 

Ian followed Lip's cue and stripped off his own clothing, tossing it aside on the floor. He scooted to the edge of the bed and watched Lip ready himself. Fuck, if that wasn't the hottest thing he'd ever seen.... 

Lip smirked when he noticed where Ian's eyes were focused. "Lay on your back." 

"Ok...wait, what?" Ian raised is eyes and looked at Lip, seemingly confused. "You don't want me to turn around and get on my hands and knees?"

"Doggy style? Naa, I wanna see your face Ian."

"But why?"

Lip thought Ian was messing with him, until he saw the confusion in his brother's eyes. He'd have to explain it. Lip lowered his hand and he walked up to Ian. 

Ian bit down on his bottom lip when he saw Lip's cock up close; he was fucking huge.

"Because I wanna fuck you properly. If you're facing the other way I won't know if I'm making you feel good. You could be bored out of your mind and faking an orgasm just to get me off." Lip said.

"I...I would never do that." Ian looked up at his brother.

"Yeah, I know Ian....but still, I want you on your back. It's either my way or-" Lip gripped his own cock again, "-no way at all."

Oh that sealed the deal right there. Ian couldn't help but grow excited at the thought of Lip's cock inside him. "Okay." He scooted back on the bed and laid down on his back.

Lip smirked at how easy it was to get Ian to obey. "Such a good little brother~" He cooed.

The words make Ian flush crimson and he doesn't understand why his stomach is stirring with butterflies. 

Lip admired the blush while he put both hands on the bed.

Ian spread his legs without being told.

Lip's heart skipped a beat. He placed his right knee on the bed first and slowly crawled over his brother. Once he was over him, Lip leaned down and kissed Ian.

Ian raised his legs and wrapped them around his brother's hips. His lips part and he welcomes the kiss.

Lip can't wait anymore. He reached down and gripped his cock, guiding the head to Ian's entrance. "Hey...." Lip mumbled against the kiss, "Have you done this before? Do I need to take it slow?"

Ian though about it for a few seconds and he shook his head. "No you don't have to take it slow."

"Good." Without warning, Lip bucked his hips forward.

Ian suddenly threw his head back and yelped in pain. "AHH FUCK!!!" A sharp pain shot up his lower back and his insides screamed in agony. Christ it felt like he was being torn apart. 

Lip gasped at the tight sensation before slumping forward and groaning against Ian's ear. "F-fuck Ian! You're too tight, ya needa relax."

"I-I'm t-trying to." Ian whimpered.

Shit, Lip was going to ejaculate if Ian didn't relax. He lifted his head and cupped Ian's face once more. Lip pressed a kiss to Ian's lips but this one was hungry and desperate by nature. He shoved his tongue inside Ian's mouth and explored those warm walls. He stroked his right hand up and down Ian's cheekbone, while the other hand trailed through his brother's hair. He twisted red locks around his fingers and stroked the soft hair in a loving manner. "It's okay Ian....it's okay, big brother is gonna take care of you" he whispered against the kiss.

The pain was awful but the kiss.....the kiss was such a nice distraction. Ian's painful moans were muffled by the aggressive tongue action but it gradually soothed Ian into a calmer state. He reached up and slowly draped his arms around Lip's neck. The loving words make Ian melt inside and his body gradually relaxed. 

Once Ian relaxed, it was Lip's turn to focus on calming down. He broke the kiss and nuzzled his lips against Ian's neck. He slowed his breathing and chuckled lightly, "Shit I almost came you fuckin' liar."

Ian laughed breathlessly, "Fuck you I didn't lie. It's just...the last guy wasn't very big like you."

The comment had Lip smirking in amusement. "No, I'm doing the fucking, not you~" Lip slowly pulled his hips back and then he pushed back inside Ian to test out how much he could handle.

Ian moaned and his back arched up from the bed.

The reaction from his brother ignited a spark inside Lip. In all of his years, Lip tried to be the kind, strong, protective brother Ian deserved. He felt successful at that part but as of right now, all he wanted to do was fuck Ian's brains out. Whatever beast was locked up inside was now untamable and insatiably hungry. Lip attacked Ian with a rough kiss, following up with fast, hard hip thrusts.

Ian was nowhere near prepared but at that point, he didn't care. Lip Gallagher, his own FUCKING brother was pounding into him relentlessly. 'Bring on the pain' he thought. Ian flinched when Lip kissed him, he was certain his lips were going to bruise from the sheer force of the kiss. He parted his lips and their teeth clashed noisily against one another. Ian squeezed his legs even tighter around his brother's hips. "Ohhh fuck me Lip, please fuck me harder~" 

Lip groaned when he heard Ian's begging. He shifted all of his weight forward on his knees and against Ian's chest.

Ian was pinned down to the bed. Even if he wanted to move or pull away, he couldn't. He loved it.

Wanting to experiment, Lip changed the angle of his movements and proceeded to fuck his brother's tight hole.

Whether or not it was intentional, Lip's cock hit the perfect spot. Ian dug his fingernails into Lip's back and he moaned for more. "Right there!" 

Lip took the cue and he pumped his hips faster, attacking that same area over and over again.

Ian's prostate could only take so much abuse. His eyelids fluttered and everything blurred out to white. "FUCK!" Ian's toes curled and his hips violently bucked against Lip. Within seconds his cock twitched and he ejaculated. 

Lip damn near came when his brother did. It took every ounce of self will to keep going but he didn't last that much longer. He slipped his right hand behind Ian's head and pulled him close.

Ian's vision was blurry when Lip lifted his head. He could make out his brother's bright blue eyes.

Lip pressed his forehead to Ian's own. 

Ian almost cried. This gesture...it was everything to the redhead. It had special meaning and it reminded him of Mickey. Of course, Mickey was just a fleeting thought before Ian focused on his brother. HIS brother. Phillip Gallagher. Both he and Ian were bonded now, in such a way siblings shouldn't be. But Ian didn't think any less of Lip, he loved him with all his heart and that would never change. Ian nuzzled his forehead against the other and his vision cleared to see the intensity and lust in Lip's eyes. Shit....was it possible to love and BE in love? If so, Ian was falling for the older male. 

The redhead lost all common sense and he let the words slip out before he could stop. "I love you Lip."

The slip up was enough to send Lip over the edge. Normally declarations of love were a turn off but in Ian's case, Lip KNEW he meant the words. Lip stared into his brother's eyes and soon enough his hip movements stuttered and he cursed under his breath. 

Ian's mouth opened to let out a heated moan. He felt his brother's cock twitching inside him before a hot sensation filled him.

Lip kissed his brother, silencing the moan in the process.

Ian held onto his brother and desperately kissed back.

Lip gradually slowed down and he rocked his hips slowly. Oh God, Ian was so warm inside and incredibly tight, in spite of the rough fucking. Lip stopped and he rested his head against Ian's shoulder. He relaxed against Ian's chest and laid on him. After a few seconds he leaned up and kissed Ian's neck. "I love you too, Ian."

Ian stroked one hand up and down Lip's sweaty back, a smile spreading across his face. Using the 'L' word wasn't a mistake after all. Wait....did Lip mean love as in 'Oh I love you as a brother' or, 'I love you and wanna spend my life with you?'

The floorboards out in the hallway started creaking, as though someone was walking towards the back bedrooms.

Lip and Ian freeze.

Both of them are looking at each other with fear and panic in their eyes. 

The footsteps get closer and a voice calls out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of those painfully long chapters. I was going to separate it into two chapters but thought "Naa I can squeeze all this into one." Newp, big mistake!!!! Took me all day and well into AM hours to complete. Now I will suffer sleep deprivation tomorrow hehe :3
> 
> I thought the quote at the beginning suited this chapter, kinda makes you think.
> 
> Seeing as how I can barely keep my eyes open, there's going to be spelling and grammatical errors. I'll edit it all later, hope you enjoyed the chapter~


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lip and Ian's sex dreams come true (pun not intended) but reality sets in. Some of the Gallaghers are not doing as well as they appear to be.

"Lip? Liam?"

Within a fraction of a second, Lip reaches over and grabs the edge of a blanket. He pulled it over him and Ian and then proceeded to roll his hips forward.

The action catches Ian off guard. His eyes widened and a whimper pushed past his lips; he was overly sensitive and sore.

Lip quickly covers Ian's mouth with his right hand and he faked a few deep grunts.

"Oh!" A tongue clicks, "Impressive my son. Gallaghers do NOT disappoint when it comes to passion and an unlimited libido. Just make sure you wrap it up."

Both Ian and Lip look at each other and visibly roll their eyes.

Fuck. It's Frank Gallagher.

Lip clears his throat, "Little busy Frank!"

"Say no more, say no more. I'm off like the metaphorical leaf in the wind." Frank turned and stumbled down the hallway. "But first I'm going to check Fiona's room, bitch still owes me for putting a stop to that atrocious wedding of hers."

Lip stopped moving his hips and he shook his head. "He sounds drunk. Wait here, I'll go kick him out." 

Ian reached up and removed Lip's hand. "Okay." 

Lip saw the lingering desire in Ian's eyes and it filled him with an unusual bubbly feeling in his chest. God, this kid was going to be the death of him if he wasn't careful. He was aware he was still rock hard and resting comfortably in Ian's cum filled ass. If Frank hadn't shown up, Lip might have considered round 2.

Light thuds come from Fiona's room as Frank flips the mattress over and tosses all the bed linens to the floor. 

"Fucking Frank." Lip grumbled and he shifted his hands to the bed. He raised his body up and slowly pulled out of the younger male.

Ian bit down on his bottom lip and he gave a painful grunt as the tip of his brother's cock nudged out of his hole with a 'plop' noise. A warm trail of cum trickled down, making the redhead blush. "Wow....fuck." 

"What?" Lip studied the surprised expression.

Ian was looking down past his stomach, "There's just so much of it...your cum, I can feel it inside."

Lip raised an eyebrow, "You never had a guy cum inside you before?"

Ian shook his head. "No, this is the first time." 

"But Trevor-"

"Silicone dick." Ian interrupts.

"Oh, right..." Lip almost forgot about that detail. So, in a way, he was kind of Ian's first....as far as having a guy ejaculate inside him. Lip is processing the information when he hears Frank shout triumphantly.

"Hah! Lip when you're done banging the broad we should smoke up Fiona's weed! I'll split it with you." Frank says, loud enough for Lip to hear down the hallway. 

"Broad?" Ian repeats, a look of angry bewilderment on his face.

Lip smirks and he leans down, pressing a kiss to his brother's forehead. "A sexy broad." With that, the older sibling climbs off the bed and drops the blanket over Ian's face to keep him covered. Lip hears a low 'fuck you' from underneath the blanket. He smiled, rolled his eyes, and grabbed his clothes from the floor. He slipped his underwear and trunks on. After tucking his semi-hard dick inside, Lip padded out of the room and down the hallway. He entered Fiona's now upturned room and reached out to grab the plastic Ziploc bag from Frank's hands.

Frank jumped away quickly, hugging the drugs to his chest like they were precious. "She OWES me!"

"Nobody owes you a damn thing Frank! Now give me Fiona's shit back or I'm gonna fucking break that lamp over your head." Lip stepped closer, he wasn't making empty threats. 

Frank eyed his son up and down, considering his chances of running or fighting. 

Lip made a grab for the glass lamp on Fiona's night stand.

"Okay! Jesus fucking Christ it's just a few joints!" Frank threw the small bag at Lip's feet. 

Lip picked up the bag and pointed to the door, "Out."

Frank scowled and he sauntered out past Lip, grumbling his protest the entire way. 

Lip noticed the twitchy movements in Frank's body, among a few open sores on his face and hands. Having grown up around drug addicts, Lip recognized the telltale signs of a junkie coming down from his high. Frank was on that 'death' and he needed to keep his high going. "Fuck." Lip didn't trust his father when he was on drugs, the guy developed some serious sticky fingers. Lip shoved the bag of weed inside Fiona's dresser and went downstairs. Just as he neared the bottom, he saw Frank attempting to steal the T.V. "DROP IT FRANK!"

"FUCK YOU!" Frank made a run to the front door with the T.V. in his arms.

Lip grabbed the baseball bat hanging right above the staircase and he pursued his old man to the front entrance.

Fortunately the T.V. was one of those old school boxes and not a flat screen. It was far too bulky and heavy to be maneuvered through clutter of the Gallagher house. Frank bumped into a plastic tub and he dropped the T.V. onto a pile of shoes and jackets. A string of obscene curses left his mouth but as soon as he saw Lip with the baseball bat, he sprinted out the front door.

Lip stepped around the T.V. and peered outside. He saw Frank hobbling down the sidewalk and raising his middle finger to the air. Lip slammed the door shut and locked it, although, Frank could easily pick the lock again. Fucking asshole could get past almost every lock known to mankind, but he was a clumsy thief and Lip was thankful for that. He set the bat down and leaned down, slipping his arms around the T.V. He hoisted it up and returned it to the living room area. He plugged it in, made sure it still worked, and then went back upstairs to check on Ian. When Lip entered his room, he noticed his bed was empty; Ian's undergarments and trunks were gone. He stood by the edge of the bed and glanced at the IV bag and steel pole. He was curious if he could get any money for those...

Ian snuck up behind his brother. As soon as he was behind him, Ian hooked his arms underneath Lip's armpits.

"What the fuck?!" Lip felt his feet leave the floor.

Ian picked Lip up and he threw him on the bed. The redhead tackled his brother and tried to subdue him through sheer strength alone.

"Fucker!" Lip braced himself when he hit the bed. This wasn't what he was expecting but he wasn't about to back down from a wrestling match. He instantly pushed out his chest and neck muscles when Ian attempted to put him in a headlock. 

Ian grunted and squeezed tightly. His pressed both his knees to the back of Lip's calves to keep him pinned.

Lip mentally laughed at his brother's choice of moves, he really didn't change much and STILL made the same mistakes. All Lip had to do was lean far to the left and pretend like he was passing out. 

Ian sensed his brother's weakening body and he smirked, "Say it! Say uncle!"

"Ian...I...fine...." Lip pretended to gasp for air. When he felt Ian's guard was all the way down, Lip relaxed his neck muscles. He felt Ian's grip loosen and that's when he grabbed Ian's arms and pushed them up over his head. At the same time, Lip rocked his body to the right with a forceful jerk. 

With nothing keeping him grounded to the bed or Lip, Ian was thrown onto the floor. He landed with a solid thud on his back and groaned in pain, albeit it was all exaggeration. "Oooowww."

Lip got off the bed and walked over to Ian's side. "Dick move sneaking up on me like that."

Ian stopped groaning and he stared up at his brother. "It was tactical, not at all a dick move." He extended his right for Lip to take.

"Save the military shit for Frank, I have a feeling he's gonna be back soon. He's hurting for a quick fix." Lip took Ian's hand, squeezed it, then pulled him up from the floor.

Ian was on his feet in seconds and he raised an eyebrow at the mention of Frank. "Yeah? He's gone though right?"

Lip nodded, "Yeah I scared him off."

Ian smirked slightly and he moved right up to his brother. The redhead pressed his forehead to Lip's own and he wrapped his arms around the other's lower back. He held him close and tight.

Lip was slow to react. He put his hands on Ian's chest to push him away but by then Ian had a firm grip around him. He felt his brother's arousal pressed against his own, bringing with it a light blush. Lip looked up at Ian and he saw the same look as before: Lust and hunger. 

Ian doesn't know what to make of the silence, so he tilted his head and peppered Lip's neck with soft kisses. "Mmm, should we go for round 2?"

Lip's neck tingles and he can feel his cock give an interested twitch at the suggestion. Part of him considers it, but the other, slightly more rational side, says otherwise. "Ian...this was just a one time thing. You know that right?"

"Mhmm." Ian acknowledges the words but doesn't stop. His kisses get a little more aggressive and he starts using tongue and teeth to graze over the feverish skin.

Lip tenses up and he mentally curses at himself for thinking with his dick instead of his brain. 

Ian gives a few hip thrusts.

Lip's breath hitches. On impulse, he moved his hips in slow circles. Their cocks rubbed against each other, both equally hard and throbbing for attention. 

Ian's breath trembles as he exhales. He kissed Lip's ear and let his hot breath linger there. "Lip...we have at least another hour before everyone gets home. I know we can't do this ever again but can we make the most of our time left? I wanna suck you off and taste you." 

The words fall off Ian's lips like liquid fire. Lip can hardly control himself at that point and he reached down, grabbing Ian's ass.

The hard groping makes Ian squirm and he literally moans into Lip's ear.

"Fuck Ian....get on your hands and knees right now." Lip can barely talk, it all sounds forced and strained. 

Ian does as he's told and he steps away from his brother, only to lower himself to his hands and knees. 

Lip walks over to his bed and sits down. He spreads his legs a little, raised one hand, and motions with his index finger. "Crawl slowly."

Ian obeys the command. He moved slowly across the floor towards the bed, his gaze never leaving Lip's watchful eyes. 

"Stop." Lip said, right before Ian's lips could touch. "Use your teeth to take off my clothes. No hands." 

Ian accepts the task without question. He leaned forward and gripped the left side of Lip's trunks between his teeth. Ian pulled and crawled backwards.

Lip raised his legs from the floor and watched Ian crawl all the way back until they were completely removed.

Ian repeated the same thing with Lip's boxer briefs but this one took some effort. Without any help from Lip, or the use of his hands, Ian had to slip his tongue against the thigh area. He worked the pink muscle underneath the fabric and managed to pull it back until he could grip it with his teeth. Ian moved backwards again until the boxer briefs slipped off and fell to the floor. Ian gazed at Lip's erection, the head was glistening with pre-cum. "Fuck....can I put it in my mouth now?" 

Lip smiled and nodded once. "Yes but you'll stay on all fours. Is that understood Corporal Gallagher?"

Ian blushed and he nodded quickly. "Yes Sir." He shifted forward and his lips parted. Ian took in Lip's cock, just the head at first. He eagerly sucked the pre-cum away, humming with delight from the taste. 

Lip's heart fluttered, fuck, Ian was hot....for a guy. Was it more fucked up if Lip thought Ian was hot BECAUSE he was his little brother? 

Ian flicked his tongue along the slit.

Lip's hips jerked at the teasing, forcing his questions on morality right out the window. He leaned over and slid his right hand down Ian's freckled back. He reached Ian's rear and carefully slid his hands underneath the trunks. Lip located Ian's entrance and he rubbed two fingers over the area, teasing him just a bit.

Ian whinned at the touch and he started inching down Lip's cock

"Ohh, fuck Ian. Your mouth feels just as good as your ass. Do you want big brother to finger fuck you?" 

Ian groaned his answer, a muffled 'God yes'. 

Lip smirked and without wasting another moment, he shoved two fingers inside his brother's slicked up hole.

Ian's back arched and he moaned even louder. He started rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. His mouth moved up and down Lip's length while his ass bounced against those penetrating fingers.

Lip is both impressed and turned on at the sight. "Jesus Ian you really are a slut." 

As a response, Ian shoved Lip's cock all the way into his mouth, deep-throating him in the process.

Lip's eyelids fluttered and his head rolled back. He moaned and started to buck his hips against Ian's mouth. Lip curled his fingers and he pushed them up at an angle.

Ian is lost in a haze of lust and pleasure. He can barely focus with how Lip was teasing his prostate. 'He's a fast learner...' Ian thought and he closed his eyes. He put all of his attention and effort into taking care of his sibling. He flicked his tongue out and moved it along Lip's sack, while squeezing his throat around Lip's cock. 

Lip's breathing became labored and he began to move his hips at an erratic pace. The final thought to cross Lip's mind before reaching his climax was that this felt WAY fucking better then any dream he could conjure up. 

Ian finished within seconds of his brother. He did use his hands but only one, and it was to jerk himself off after Lip came inside his mouth. Ian's eyes watered up but he swallowed most of the hot seed; some of it trickled down his chin. He gave a few desperate hip thrusts into his own hand before painting his chest with cum. 

The two siblings remain where they are, panting and lost in their sexual high. 

Ian's is the first to move by crawling backwards until Lip's cock slipped out of his mouth.

A trail of saliva and cum connected tongue and cock, until Ian sat down and the erotic line was broken. 

"Fuck...that's hot." Lip commented.

"What?" Ian inquired.

"My cum on your face, you uh, got a little..." Lip pointed to to Ian's chin.

"Shut up." Ian wiped the back of his hand across his chin. 

In spite of the immoral act they just committed, the two men feel good. 

Ian tries to ignore the tightening in his chest and he reasons it's just his emotions messing with him. Ian was an emotional guy, or a drama queen as Frank so elegantly put it. He couldn't help it, sex was NEVER meaningless. Ian always felt he put a little bit himself into the men he slept with and vice versa. He couldn't just fuck someone and forget them entirely, there was some kind of attachment there, an invisible bond formed. He knew he loved Lip because, well, they are siblings. He loved him but he wasn't IN love, right?

Lip on the other hand, see's this as sexual experimentation and a way to unload some pent up stress. Lip wasn't gay, nor was he attracted to men, but he WAS attracted to Ian because the guy was his brother, he loved him, why wouldn't he wanna fuck him? He was already emotionally invested in the guy so some physical intimacy was okay... But it was a one time thing, a fun experience, and he felt intimately closer to Ian. That was a good thing, right?

There is enough time for Ian to shower before the remainder of the family arrives home.

Lip on the other hand, changes into a clean pair of trunks, underwear, and his infamous t-shirt that says 'Fuck you, you fucking fuck' in faded blue letters. He removed all of his bed linens and carried the downstairs. He threw everything in the washer and poured extra detergent, then started the machine up. 

The front door opens and familiar voices pour into the house.

Lip looks up just as Fiona, Debbie, Franny, and Liam entered the living room. Lip made sure Fiona's room was picked up, after Frank's unexpected visit. He also discarded the IV bag and pole in the backyard and there was a band-aid over the puncture wound on his right hand. "Hey." 

Fiona pauses and stares at Lip. "Hey?" She repeats, "Hey?! That's ALL ya gotta say?"

'Oh fuck, here we go.' Lip thinks to himself. He averts his gaze and sighs, "What the fuck do you want me to say Fi?"

Fiona marches forward and she reaches out and grabs a fistful of blonde curls with her left hand. She walked into the kitchen and yanked Lip right along.

"OW FUCK!" Lip winced and he damn near fell over trying to keep up with Fiona. 

Fiona threw Lip against a chair. 

Lip grabbed the chair and barely sat down when Fiona's shrill voice filled his ears.

"Never mind the fact you've been coming home smelling like a fucking bar every, single, night!" Fiona was up in her brother's face.

"I don't stay here every-"

"SHUT UP." Fiona snapped, "Never mind the fact that you've been staying more and more often, with bullshit excuses like 'late night class', 'oh they rescheduled it', or 'canceled', fuck Lip, you used the same shitty excuses in high school!"

Lip crossed his arms and stared at the kitchen floor. It was no use, he could feel Fiona's eyes burning a hole into his head.

"And don't get me started on these disappearing acts. A couple of weeks ago I get the hospital bill when you nearly DIED of alcohol poisoning. Lip that was 2 fucking weeks ago! What in the actual fuck are YOU THINKING?! Ian had to call Sue to bring in some IV bags so they could pump out whatever drugs and alcohol you had floating around in your system. Do you have a fucken' death wish Lip? Huh?" Fiona crossed her arms and she stood right in front of Lip, her right boot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"No..." Lip mumbled.

"No? Ya SURE?! Because if you do, let me know right now. I'll save ya the trouble and do you in myself because I am SICK of the bullshit and stress you put on this family." Fiona sighed in frustration.

"We done?" Lip's voice was cold. 

"No we ain't done smart ass." Fiona walked over to a dresser where they keep the mail. She pulls out two letters and opens the first one. "Letter of expulsion and an immediate freeze on your student account and loans."

Lip's head snaps up and he stares at Fiona, eyes wide. "You...You knew?"

"Yes. I knew." Fiona's voice softens slightly. "And this one...it came in last week, right after you disappeared."

Debbie hovers by the kitchen entry way while Liam and Franny watch cartoons in the living room.

Ian is seated at the end the stairs with a towel over his wet head, he's listening to the conversation at hand.

"What....what's it say?" Lip asks hesitantly.

Fiona looks at the letter, she's still visibly mad but even she appears unsure about reading it aloud. "Phillip Gallagher, in light of your absence during the disciplinary hearing regarding your academic future at-"

"That's not until this Friday." Lip interrupts.

Fiona bites down on her bottom lip and this time she can't bring herself to meet Lip's gaze. "I tried calling ya kid...I'm sorry."

Lip feels heavy, like somebody strapped a 200 lb weight against his chest. 'I missed it?', he thought. He struggles to stand on his feet but the room starts spinning.

Debbie rushes forward and she grabs both of Lip's arms to steady him. "Hey, it's alright Lip. Take a deep breath, everything is gonna be okay."

"No....no it's not Debs." Lip's vision blurs with hot tears. 

Fiona sets the letters down and walks around the counter. She put a hand on Lip's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I think you need help Lip because you...you don't got your shit together."

The words hurt more then Lip cared to admit. He ignored his sisters and shoved past them, "I gotta go." 

Debbie tries to pursue.

Fiona grabs her younger sister's arm and shakes her head, "Let him go."

Ian stood up, "Lip wait-"

Lip walks past Ian without so much as acknowledging his existence.

Ian felt a pain in his chest when Lip ignored him.

Lip slipped on a pair of brown Camo boots and immediately exited the front door. 

Fiona wanders over to her brother, "Ian?"

"Yeah, I'll follow him. I'll keep you updated." Ian removed the damp towel from his head and held it out to his older sister. Unlike his brother, Ian was fully dressed; blue denim jeans, black socks, and a long-sleeved white shirt. 

"Thanks, call me if you need a ride or advice, got it?" Fiona took the towel.

"Got it." Ian nodded and he made his way over to the front door. He slipped on a pair of black Adidas high tops before grabbing his faded green jacket. He stepped out while sliding the jacket on one arm at a time. Ian was on the sidewalk and glancing around... That's when he spotted Lip a couple miles away on the sidewalk. "Fuck he's fast." Ian takes of jogging to try and catch up to his older sibling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lip goes to his mentor to bitch about his life and later snaps at Ian. Needing comfort and reassurance, Ian goes to see Trevor. Fiona hosts a birthday BBQ for Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything in brackets [ ] represents text messages.

"I missed the meeting! Those fucking bastards switched up the dates on me!" Lip shouted bitterly. He was pacing back and forth on the floor like an agitated animal.

"The university is allowed to change dates Lip, they should've informed you through a letter, email, and phone call." The old man said.

The information sticks Lip in the side like a knife, making him stop in his tracks. He sighed irritably and ran a hand through his hair. He lifted his hazel blue eyes and looked over at his mentor. "Youens, how fucked am I?"

"Very fucked. Detrimentally fucked." Youens leaned over the coffee table and poured himself another glass of vodka.

"Fuck my life." Lip reached over and grabbed the bottle from Youens hand.

"Hey-" Youens frowned slightly.

Lip took a few big swigs and he hissed from the bitter aftertaste. He made a face before handing the bottle back, "Sorry."

"Use a cup next time, this isn't some trashy fraternity." Youens capped the bottle and sipped on his beverage.

"Duly noted." Lip resumed his restless pacing, "Do you think they'll give me another chance? I can write an appeal explaining my situation and you could write up another recommendation letter?"

"I admire your optimism Lip but all the letters and recommendations in the WORLD wouldn't help now. It's best to just walk away from this one and lick your wounds quietly. Reapply for college in a year or two when your academic suspension is up. I'm sure you can get another scholarship." Youens said.

Lip groaned in frustration and he threw his hands up in defeat. "FUUUUUCK!" He walked around the coffee table and sat down on the couch next to Youens. He grabbed the bottle of vodka and removed the cap. He glanced around for an empty cup.

"Go ahead." Youens exclaimed with an eye roll.

The blonde chugged the alcohol noisily. His face pinched from the awful taste and he almost gagged in the process.

Youens observed the unhealthy coping mechanism but he didn't judge the boy for it. Lip reminded Youens of himself when he was that age and the young man was showing some dangerous alcoholic tendencies. "Lip, can I say something? It might get personal but I feel the need to address it."

Lip set the bottle back down and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Youens took another sip before speaking. "I've noticed a string of unfortunate events in your life that would break a man, however, you're creating more problems with over excessive drinking. Am I wrong to assume you missed the meeting because you were off getting shit faced somewhere?"

Lip doesn't say a word.

"Ah. I thought so." Youens placed his drink down on the coffee table. "Please understand that I'm NOT pitying you. I'm empathetic towards you and understand life has been, for a lack of a better word, shitty. Your public breakup with Helene, removal from the dorms, alcohol poisoning, your mothers recent passing, and now this. Your academic probation is solidified and you will no longer be allowed at the university, for the time being. With so little left, drinking your life away seems like a favorable option, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." Lip nodded. "What do you think I should do?"

"Rehab."

Lip blinked and he looked at Youens "Seriously?"

"Yes. I went to rehab when I was about your age and it was the best decision of my life." Youens absentmindedly tapped his knuckles on the tabletop. "I strongly urge you to go."

Lip shrugged, "Thanks for the suggestion but I don't have the money to go."

"I'll pay for it." Youens offered.

Lip's eyes widened in surprise and he searched Youens's expression to see if the guy was really serious.

He WAS serious.

"No, thanks but no." Lip got up from the couch, "Thanks for listening to me bitch about my life but rehab isn't gonna fix what's wrong with me. I'll get out of your hair now, see ya."

"Lip, wait-"

Lip strode away and was out the front door in seconds. He started walking in a random direction with no specific destination in mind. He zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets, it was starting to get chilly outside. Fuck, he should've put pants on instead of trunks, it was going to get colder. As Lip walked, he felt a weird sensation in his gut..... Was someone following him? Lip turned around quickly, thinking it was Youens.

Startled, Ian froze.

"Ian?" Lip was raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Fi was worried when you're stormed off. She asked me to check up on you-"

"I don't need a fucking babysitter." Lip interrupted. He grabbed a cigarette from his pocket and searched for his lighter in the other. "Go home Ian."

Ian sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Lip....why didn't you tell me? Why'd you keep this shit to yourself?"

"What are you a therapist now?" Lip found his lighter and he lit the end of the cigarette. "Look, I don't wanna fucking talk about it okay? Now quit following me like some shady fuck and go home."

Ian bit down on his bottom lip. He didn't want his brother to disappear again. He stepped closer and reached out to grab Lip's hand.

A left fist came down hard on Ian's right cheekbone.

"Ah!" Ian gasped and he stumbled backwards, his vision blurred temporarily. "Ow, the fuck Lip!?" Ian's face was throbbing and tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

Concern flashes in Lip's eyes but it's quickly replaced with contempt. "Stop acting like a clingy boyfriend." He turned around and took off walking. "And don't fucking follow me!" He shouted.

Ian was at a loss for words. He was confused as to what prompted the angry outburst and those words hurt more then he cared to admit. A clingy boyfriend?... Was he clingy? Ian's chest hurt at the thought but he remained where he was, watching his sibling disappear around a street corner.

A cell phone started ringing.

Ian answered it. "Hey what's up?.... No, it's my day off..... Yeah I'll be over, no it's okay I can walk. See ya in a few." The call ended and he tucks the phone away in his pants pocket. As worried as he was, Ian would listen to his older brother and back off for now.

Trevor is seated at one end of the couch while Ian is sprawled out with his head on his boyfriend's lap. They're both watching an action thriller but Ian finds it difficult to pay attention.

"What were you and your brother fighting about?" Trevor trailed his hand through Ian's red hair.

"Uh, his drinking." Ian lied, "It's getting worse and when I confronted him, he punched me and took off."

"Yikes, and I thought my family drama was bad. How are you feeling babe? Did those painkillers kick in yet?" Trevor asked.

"I feel alright and yeah they kicked in. Still a little tender but at least it's tolerable now." Ian sighed and closed his eyes, turning his head slightly to nuzzle Trevor's lap.

"You're not paying attention to the movie, are you?" Trevor stroked the back of Ian's neck.

"No....sorry." Ian mumbled.

"It's fine. I got something else in mind we can do."

"Hm? What?" Ian opened his eyes and looked up.

"Sit up." Trevor instructed.

Curious, Ian shifted on the couch and sat up.

Trevor slid off is seat and he got down on his knees. He pushed Ian's legs apart and settled in the gap left behind. He worked Ian's zipper down before pulling his boyfriend's dick out. Without hesitation, Trevor lowered himself and he took the other male's length inside his mouth.

Ian shivered from the sensation and closed his eyes.

Trevor hallowed out his cheekbones and started sucking, while moving up and down Ian's cock.

"Oooh fuck~" Ian was starting to get hard. Damn, Trevor was REALLY good at blowjobs, the guy could always work Ian back up to an erection with that talented mouth of his. He thrust his hips a little as Trevor sucked him off. Ian was curious if he was just as good at giving head... He had to be somewhat decent right? After all, he got his brother Lip off from a blowjob.... Was Lip going to disappear for another week again? Would someone be there to take care of him? What if he got alcohol poisoning again or choked on his own vomit?

Noticing the deflating erection, Trevor pulled off and he looked up at Ian. "Babe what's wrong?"

Ian opened his eyes and looked down. "I'm sorry...I'm worried about Lip."

"It's okay, I understand." Trevor wiped his mouth and crawled back up onto the couch next to Ian. "We can spoon instead?"

"Yeah! And can we start the movie over? I'll try to pay attention this time."

"Of course." Trevor got up and walked over to the blu-ray device to restart the movie.

Ian tucked his cock away and laid back down on the couch.

Trevor laid down next to his boyfriend.

Ian wrapped an arm around the other male and held him close, this time he tried to pay attention to the movie.

Lip went out and drank but he limited himself this time. When he was good and buzzed, he walked back home. It was close to 11:00pm when he walked into the Gallagher house. For being a Friday, it was unusually quiet inside. Lip kicked off his shoes and tossed his jacket to the side. He made his way upstairs and paused by Ian's door. The guilt was eating away at him...He was upset and took it out on his brother, that wasn't right. Lip opened the door and peered in.

The bed is empty.

"Hm." Lip knew exactly where Ian was. He closed the door and went into his bedroom, taking care to be extra quiet as Liam slept peacefully in his bed. He climbed into bed and collapsed on the cool blankets. Eyes close and Lip starts to drift off, the drunken haze made him sleepy. He ignored the thoughts floating around in his head...but one particular redhead was a constant recurrence. In the back of his mind, he told himself he wasn't concerned about Trevor. Why would he be? He was Ian's boyfriend and Lip was just an older brother....who happened to fuck Ian like they were lovers. No, they weren't lovers, that was Trevor's job. They acted on impulse and fucked each other out of convenience. Yeah, that's it, convenience and curiosity, nothing more.

It's early Saturday morning and Fiona Gallagher slipped out of the house to go grocery shopping. Liam's birthday was next week but it fell on a Wednesday, so the older sibling wanted to have a big family barbecue for him today. She purchased all the necessary food and purchased both cake and ice cream. Fiona made it back to the house by 8:30am and she filled two pots with potatoes and eggs, those would go over a burner and boil.

Fiona sent a text to Ian.

[Family bbq at noon.]

Ian heard his phone chime, indicating a text message. He reached across the bed and lifted his phone up from the nightstand. He read over the message and responded.

[Ok, is it cool if I bring Trevor?]

[Yup bring him over.]

Ian set his phone down and yawned, arms extending over his head for a morning stretch. He rolled over onto his side and nosed Trevor's neck, peppering him with kisses.

Trevor smiled but didn't open his eyes. "Babe....it too early for foreplay."

"Mhm." Ian trailed kisses up Trevor's jaw. "Fi is throwing a family barbecue at noon, wanna come?"

"Yes." Trevor ran one hand through Ian's hair, "And sure I'll go to your family barbecue."

Ian smirked and he pressed a kiss against his boyfriend's cheek. "Breakfast is served~" He pulled the blanket over his head and crawled backwards, lowering himself to Trevor's waist.

Before Trevor could make a witty comeback, he felt Ian's warm mouth engulf his morning wood. This made him gasp and he closed his eyes again, moaning his lover's name.

Lip awoke to the sound of laughter, mostly V's laughter, she had this loud identifiable cackle. He sat up in bed and noticed Liam was gone. His gaze traveled down to the morning erection protruding from his boxer briefs. He wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Lip hopped out of bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and then went into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

"Oh my goodness she's getting so big!" V gushed, she had Franny against her right hip.

"I know they grow up so fast." Debbie commented. She had a beer in her hand and she watched Kev chase down his twins and grab a sharp stick from their hands.

"No, no, no! Don't poke each other with sticks." Kev said and he threw the stick over the fence.

Fiona giggled, "I can't imagine raising twins." She was standing in front of a charcoal grill with a pair of tongs in one hand, a beer in the other.

"Twice the enegy, twice the trouble." V said with a eye roll, "But they're my little goblins and I love the shit out of them."

Kev looked at V, "Hey language."

"Oh, I love the HECK out of them." V corrected herself.

Lip wandered out through the back door and he climbed down the steps.

"Hey there sleeping beauty, thought I was gonna have to go pour a bucket of ice water on ya." Fiona said.

"Naa, that won't be necessary." Lip plopped a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. His hair was damp still but it was relatively warm outside.

"Debs I'm almost done, would you go grab the side salads?" Fiona picked up several grilled ears of corn and placed them on a serving tray.

"Yeah sure thing. Liam come help me carry everything." Debbie set her beer down and walked over to the back porch.

Liam followed his older sister into the house.

"Smells amazing." Trevor called out.

Everything looked up to see Trevor and Ian walking up from the sidewalk.

"I hope it tastes amazing, haven't used the grill in years." Fiona admitted with a laugh but she stopped when she saw the huge bruise on Ian's cheekbone. "Jesus Ian, what the fuck happened?"

Ian chuckled and avoided Lip's gaze, "I uh, Trevor got kind of rough with me in bed."

"Ian!" Trevor blushed and shook his head, "He's lying, don't believe him."

Fiona chuckled, "Oh okay, mystery bruises are the best. Hey you two want a beer?"

"Yeah." Ian nodded.

"I got it Fiona." Kev walked over to a nearby cooler and he reached inside to grab two beers. He handed one to Ian and one to Trevor.

Lip glanced at Ian and then at Trevor. Maybe it was the hangover he was suffering from but he was annoyed to see Trevor.

Debbie and Liam returned with a couple of big bowls.

"Set em' on the table." Fiona said.

"Okay." Deb and Liam set the bowls down, they consisted of potato salad, fruit salad, baked beans, pasta salad with Italian dressing, and cookie salad (Liam's favorite).

"Alrighty! Everyone take a seat." Fiona emptied the grill and she picked up a large tray of food.

Everybody gathered around the fold-up tables, two were pushed together to make a singular table. Fiona set the tray down in the center, it included grilled hot dogs, barbecue chicken, seasoned baby back ribs, and grilled corn on the cob.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm! Girl you really outdid yourself!" V said.

"Aww thanks. Go ahead guys, dig in. We'll have cake an ice cream in a bit." Fiona sat down across from V.

Ian grabbed two plates and handed one to Trevor.

"Thanks babe." Trevor took the plate and like everybody else, started piling his plate with food.

Lip rolled his eyes at the word 'babe', God, what a cheesy thing to say. In high school it was understandable but they were grown fucking adults, it sounded stupid to say it out loud. Lip didn't grab any food, he was still working on his cigarette. "Whats the occasion Fi?"

"Liam's birthday, I know it's not for a few days but we'll all be busy with work next week. I mentioned it a few weeks ago, remember?" Fiona filled her plate with barbecue chicken and potato salad.

"Yeah, yeah I remember....I just thought it was family only." When Lip said that, he was staring at Trevor.

Emerald eyes flicker with surprise and Ian stared at his older brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Did I stutter? This was supposed to be a family celebration." Lip said calmly, he avoided looking at Ian directly.

Trevor can sense the subtle hostility in both Lip's voice and his body language. He knew when he wasn't welcomed and he quietly stood up from his seat. "I should get going."

Fiona and Ian snap at the same time, "Sit down!"

Trevor sat back down in his seat.

There's an awkward silence that fills the space.

The only ones eating are the Liam and the other little kids.

"I don't know what your problem is Lip but you can take your fucking rude ass back into the house." Fiona stated, although calm, there's anger in her eyes.

"I'm not being rude, I was simply making an observation." Lip shrugged and flicked cigarette ashes to the side. "It's not like I asked him to leave, in fact, having him here is like watching your own personal freakshow."

Ian bolted up from his seat and slammed his fist against the tabletop. "What the FUCK is wrong with you?!"

"Again, making an observation." Lip appears unfazed by Ian's outburst. "I mean anyone who has a detachable dick is considered a freak, I don't know a better a word for it. When you're fucking, does it ever loosen or fall off?"

"I'm going to go now." Trevor said and he stood up again.

Ian grabbed Trevor's hand and held it firmly.

The gesture angers Lip further. "Fuck it, I don't have an appetite anyway." He snuffed the cigarette out on the table and got up from his seat. "Ian you're fucking a woman with facial hair and no tits, so excuse me if I can't eat around you two." With that, Lip walked away and went back into the house.

Stunned silence.

Nobody moves.

Ian cursed under his breath and he tried to pursue his brother.

Trevor grabbed Ian by his arm and stopped him. "Babe just let it go. I'll leave right now."

Ian turned around and he cupped Trevor's face. "Someone's gotta kick his ass, there's no excuse for his behavior."

"He's right ya know, sit back down Trevor." Fiona said.

Trevor sighs and considers it. He stared into his boyfriend's eyes and smiled weakly, "Okay..."

Ian kissed Trevor's forehead before turning around and going into the house to confront Lip.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian confronts Lip about his angry outburst and rude comments towards Trevor. They end up fighting and Ian is forced to dig deep if he wants real answers from Lip.

Lip entered the kitchen and was grumbling under his breath, clearly pissed off about...

About what?

"Fuck." Lip didn't even want to consider that he MIGHT be angry at Ian for bringing Trevor over. The nerve of that guy....being all cuddly and affectionate with Ian, calling him 'babe' openly without any repercussions to worry about. "Fucking freak...." He moved over to the fridge and grabbed a beer from inside. He popped the cap off and took a few swigs of the carbonated liquid. 

The back door slams open and Ian announces himself.

"LIP WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Unfazed, Lip shacked 3/4 of his beer. He lowered his drink and sighed with satisfaction, completely ignoring Ian.

The casual avoidance has Ian seething with rage. He wanted to avoid a fight but Lip was pushing it. "I want you to go outside and apologize to Trevor," he said through clenched teeth.

Lip chuckled and looked across the kitchen at his brother. "Fuck off, I ain't apologizing for shit."

"Lip-" 

"AND", Lip interrupted, "I don't owe that freak a damn thing." 

There it is, the final fucking straw. Overcome with rage, Ian blacked out for just a few seconds. But in those moments the redhead would stride over to his brother and grab him by the collar of his shirt. Ian slammed Lip into the fridge. 

It all happened so fast. Lip's eyes widened when Ian advanced on him and threw him against the fridge door, causing the blonde to drop his beer onto the floor; it shattered on impact. "GET OFF ME!" Lip attempted to shove his little brother away.

"GO FUCK YOURSELF ASSHOLE!" Ian snarled. He cranked his right arm back and punched Lip in the face, aiming right for the nose.

Knuckles collide with bone.

Lip gasped and he's blinded by pain, momentarily dazed.

"Stop being a fucking prick and go apologize to Trevor, NOW!" Ian's hand was throbbing from the pain.

It takes Lip nearly a minute to collect his thoughts and his vision finally cleared up. He can feel something warm and wet on his face... A bloody nose. Great. "Okay.....but I should tell you something first."

Ian's eyes narrowed at Lip's words but he lowered his fist and relaxed his grip some.

Without warning, Lip headbutted Ian in the face.

Forehead collides with forehead.

Ian gasped. The hit has him seeing stars and he stumbled backwards. 

Lip raised his left foot and shoved Ian in the stomach, causing the redhead to topple over onto the floor. Admittedly that shit hurt more then Lip anticipated but there was something gratifying about returning the favor. "Never learn do you? Enough fights shouda prepared you for that one." With a smug grin, Lip stepped over the puddle of beer and glass. He left the kitchen and made his way into the living room.

The redhead wasn't down for long. He recovered from the physical blow and was on his feet within seconds. He ran into the living room and tackled his brother from behind.

Lip heard footsteps but before he could turn, he felt Ian's arms wrap around his legs and he was thrown off balance by the full body tackle.

Both men end up on the floor and they immediately start wrestling with each other. Each one tried to pin the other down, only to fail and receive an elbow or a fist to the face. Ian got a few more punches in but Lip kicked him right in the jaw, causing Ian to cry out in pain.

"FUCKER!" Ian shouted.

Lip managed to get his hands on a lamp.

Ian's heart raced, this was about to get a whole LOT worse. Lip wasn't going to let up, Ian saw that. So, the redhead did what he thought might end their violent squabble. He crawled over his brother quickly and cupped Lip's face with both hands, turning him to face him. 

Lip was forced to look up at Ian, lamp in his right hand.

Ian closed the gap between their lips and kissed the elder sibling. 

The action shocks Lip, so much in fact, he drops the lamp on the floor and the anger deflates from his body. 

'It worked', Ian thought to himself, a little surprised by Lip's reaction. He didn't move his lips, rather, he waited on his brother to make the next move.

Lip's mind is working fast, trying to figure out what he should do next. A memory flashes in his head in which Ian is on all fours, giving Lip one of the best blow jobs he ever experienced.... Fuck it. Lip tilted his head and he pushed his tongue inside Ian's mouth.

Ian was unsure if Lip would kiss him back or push him off but he's greeted with his brother's talented tongue. He smiles and parts his lips, moving his own tongue over the other, tasting that oh-so-familiar alcohol and cigarette flavor. To test the waters further, Ian lowered his ass against Lip's groin, giving a playful hip roll against him.

Lip tensed up and one hand shot up, grabbing a fistful of red hair. He yanked Ian's head back, forcing the kiss to end. 

Ian hissed from the hairpull but he didn't protest. He lowered his hands to his sides and waited for Lip to let go.

Lip was visibly scowling at his brother. "Knock that shit off."

"Okay, sorry." Ian said.

"No you're not. You keep fucking with me and I'm starting to get sick of the head games." Lip said.

"What head games?" Ian has no clue what Lip is talking about and is honestly confused.

"Bringing Trevor over to the house and acting all lovey dovey and shit. I get it, you're in a fucking happy relationship, don't flaunt it around me or I'm gonna blow up again." 

Ian can hear the slight bitterness in Lip's voice and he considers the words..... Green eyes widen when the epiphany hit: Lip Gallagher was jealous. His own brother, who was perfect in every way, was jealous of Ian's relationship. It's almost hard to believe and he knows if he points it out, Lip will flat out deny it. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry Lip."

Lip quirked an eyebrow and let go of Ian's hair. "For what?"

Ian looked down at Lip, "For bringing Trevor over. I didn't realize how much it would upset you to see me with him."

"Pffft, you're delusional." Lip rolled his eyes. 

"That's not what Phillip Jr. thinks." Ian said with a sly grin.

"Huh? Who the hell is Phillip Jr.?" 

For his answer, Ian rocked his hips, grinding his ass against Lip's full blown erection. 

Lip's breath hitched. He grabbed Ian by his arms and squeezed, "Did....did you seriously refer to my dick as junior?"

"Mhmm." Ian nodded. "I can take care of it for you... If you want." Ian swayed his hips from side to side.

"Fuck, Ian ..... Stop." Lip's grip tightened on Ian's arms. "I told you already, that was a one time thing. It was all general curiosity, just a convenient fuck." 

The words sting a little but Ian isn't buying into them. Lip was stubborn, especially when it came to his personal feelings. Ian saw it one too many times when Lip was in relationships, he could never fully express his emotions; he was guarded, encased inside an impenetrable wall. "And this can be a convenient blow job."

Lip's eyebrows knit together in concentration, he's thinking the offer over. "What about Trevor?"

"You upset him and he's ready to bolt. All I have to do is give him the okay and he'll go home." Ian said casually. 

"Hm....I see." Lip's expression softens. He opens his mouth, "We-"

"WHO THE FUCK MADE THIS MESS?!" Fiona's angry scream shook the whole house.

Lip and Ian freeze up.

Lip threw his brother off him.

Ian crashed into the couch but he hurriedly got to his feet, having to take a moment to adjust his dick inside his pants; he was only semi-hard, but he didn't want Fiona seeing him with a boner. "Uhh sorry that was me! I'll clean it up Fi." Ian called out.

Lip made a dash for the stairs and he raced up them, right as Fiona marched into the living room. 

Fiona paused and looked around. "Huh, thought you two woulda destroyed this place." She walked over and picked up the fallen lamp. She looked at Ian and grimaced, "Ow, your face looks messed up."

Ian chuckled at the remark, "Yeah he got a few kicks in but I think we're good now."

"Better ice your face down, your jaw looks swollen." Fiona set the lamp down on the coffee table. "Is he gonna apologize to Trevor?"

"No, he's too bullheaded for that but a good ass whoopin' is an acceptable form of an apology." 

"Good point. Grab the cake and ice cream? We'll sing happy birthday to Liam." 

Ian nodded, "Sure thing Fi."

The two siblings go back outside and prepare the cake with several lit candles. Trevor stays long enough to sing the happy birthday song with everybody else and with Ian's permission, excuses himself from the gathering. Ian denies a piece of cake and goes over to Liam, giving him a hug and a kiss to his forehead. "Happy birthday bud," he said. The redhead made his way back into the house while everyone stayed outside to visit and gorge themselves on cake and ice cream. 

Ian walked down the hall to Lip's room. He paused outside the door and tapped his knuckles against it. "Hey uh, can I come in?"

There's a long pause, then Lip speaks up: "Leave me alone Ian."

"Huh? Why?" Ian was bewildered.

Lip doesn't answer this time.

Frustrated, Ian gripped the door knob and twisted it. He stepped inside the dark bedroom and flicked the lights on. "You're not pulling this shit on me."

Lip growled in irritation and he got up from bed. He walked right up to Ian and took hold of his t-shirt, "Get the fuck out of my room." He shoved Ian towards the open door.

Ian elbowed Lip's arm and pushed it off, he stood his ground. "No, not until you tell me what's going on."

Lip rolled his eyes, "Again with the games?"

Ian lost it. "The fuck Lip?! Is EVERYTHING a fucking game to you? My feelings -our feelings- NONE of it is a game!!!" His voice raised dangerously and he loomed in front of his brother, lips formed into a tight thin line.

Lip is taken back by the outburst. He didn't budge when Ian moved closer and he stared into the emerald orbs, almost mesmerized by the color. "Okay....I get it, hear ya loud and clear. Now, can you please leave?"

Ian shook his head. "I will if you tell me what's gotten into you. Why did you get angry and take it out on Trevor?"

"I already told you-"

"That's not all of it. There's more, I know it." Ian interrupted. 

Lip swallowed the lump forming in his throat and he averted his gaze. He glared at the floor and mumbled, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullshit." Ian reached out and tentatively touched Lip's hand.

The touch makes Lip recoil and he took a few steps back, his whole body language suggested anxiety and tension. "I'm not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed, now get out. I'm sore and tired." 

"Lip..." Ian's voice softens. He took another step forward but kept his hands to himself. "It's me.... It's Ian fucking Gallagher, your little brother.... We grew up together, we shared everything from the same bed and the same clothes. You use to tell me everything going on in your life, we kept each other's secrets safe.... When did you stop trusting me?"

Lip blinked and he looked up to meet his brother's gaze. "I still trust you."

"Yeah? But not enough right?" Ian gave a defeated sigh.

"Ian-"

"You'd rather go see your college adviser then talk to me or Fi...I didn't realize we mattered so little to you Lip." 

The remark is cold and sharp, like an ice dagger cutting into his heart. Lip clears his throat, "It's not like that at all Ian.... You and Fi, everyone else, you're my family. All of you are important to me...that's why I can't share certain details of my life. I'm trying to protect all of you, the last thing I wanna do is burden anyone with my problems."

"Lip...." Ian could see the slight tremble in his brother's shoulders. It was then Ian could see Lip.... REALLY see Lip and how hard he was trying to hold himself together. He didn't see a fighter or a streetwise hustler. Those gorgeous blue eyes didn't look certain anymore, they were full of self-doubt and pain. Instead of a man, Ian saw a little boy with a mop of blonde curls. The boy is shaking like a leaf, a leaf that is desperately trying to cling to it's tree but the wind keeps pushing, pushing, and pushing.... Like the leaf, Lip is barely hanging by his organic threads and he's about to fall, thinking no one will be there to catch him.

The redhead turned around and closed the bedroom door.

Lip shifted nervously from one foot to the other, "What are you doing?"

Ian walked up to his brother and suddenly hugged him. 

The physical contact has Lip tensing up. 

Ian held on tighter, he pressed his lips to his brother's ear and whispered: "I love you and not because we fucked, but because you're my brother. You're precious to me Lip, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. You helped raise me, fed me, clothed me, protected me when Frank and Monica were violent. Hell, you hiked across the city just to find my goddamn G.I. Joe action figure.... You're everything to me and if I'm being honest, it hurts that you would bottle up your pain and keep it from me."

Lip gradually relaxed and he wrapped his arms around Ian's lower back. The heartfelt confession has his eyes watering up and he tries to blink away tears. He wants to say something, he really does... but the words don't come out. 

The silence is enough for Ian to determine his initial accusation; Lip didn't trust him, he was afraid. 

"You don't have to tell me anything but I hope, one day, you can trust me again. Your life problems are NOT a burden to me, in fact I wanna help you carry some of that but only when you're ready." Ian pulled back and he planted a gentle kiss against Lip's forehead. He then lowered his hands to his sides and backed away. 

Lip's hands shoot out and grab Ian's t-shirt. He pulled the redhead closer and nuzzled his face against Ian's chest. He's entire body is shaking, he's about to fall apart.

Ian kissed the top of Lip's head and he wrapped his arms around his sibling, holding him close. 

At some point the two men shift to the bed. Ian is lying on his back while Lip is sprawled over him, head resting against Ian's chest, right over his heart. Ian has an arm around Lip while the other plays with thick blonde curls. They're both fully dressed with no intention of removing each other's clothes.

They don't talk.

It was strange for Lip to be held like that.... Normally he was the one holding women in the same manner, as though he were the protector. 

Ian was the protector now.

Lip yawned and closed his eyes.

Ian mirrors the yawn.

Both Gallaghers ended up falling asleep for an afternoon nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the long wait. This is my most popular story with the least feedback, so I've been working on my other stories where I have more interaction with my readers. :3 If I had more comments on this one, I'd be more inclined to write up chapters. Just saying~
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed this one, really wanted to get into the emotional bond Ian and Lip share, and showcase Lip's denial (and inner conflicts).


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian knows what he wants. Lip doesn't know, or at least, he acts like he doesn't know. Things get hot and tense between the Gallagher siblings, up until Ian makes a mistake - a HUGE mistake.

Muffled pleasure-filled groans stir Lip from his sleep, that and the incredible sensation radiating in his groin.

"The hell?" A sleepy Lip croaked out, head lifting to peer down.

Ian is currently laying on his stomach, positioned between both of Lip's sprawled legs. Earlier, he removed Lip's trunks and boxer briefs before swallowing up his cock and working him into an erection that was ready to burst any moment. Ian gave deep moans, causing Lip's cock to vibrate in that warm mouth of his.

"Fuck Ian~" Lip was surprised and clearly not disappointed with his wake up call. He placed his left hand on top of Ian's head, fingers stroking through fiery red hair while his brother sucked him off. God, Ian had such a talented mouth and tongue. He didn't recall any of the women in his life being able to get him off with their mouth alone, not like Ian.

Ian's tongue traveled all around Lip's length, tracing each thick vein and encircling the sensitive head. He flicked his tongue against the slit where pre-cum oozed, and he slurped it up greedily like it was a goddamn slushy.

The action makes Lip jerk against Ian's mouth. He hissed out a sharp breath, damn near coming at that moment; he wanted to hold off a little longer and enjoy the sensual blowjob.

Unprepared for the sudden movement, Ian tensed up and gagged when Lip's cock tore it's way into the back of his throat. Tears pricked his eyes but he never missed a beat. He did, however, pause to let the choking feel subside and when it did, he started bobbing his head up and down, sucking harder this time.

"Nnnn, like that Ian...keep going~" Lip didn't feel bad at all, if Ian was going to grace him with surprise blowjobs then he better be prepared to take everything his brother threw at him. Waves of pleasure rolled over Lip's body and a familiar tight, warm sensation started creeping into his abdomen. Each muscle was tensing up and a pressure was growing inside his groin, oh fuck, he was close. Lip couldn't get over the lewd sounds Ian's mouth made, the guy was devouring his cock as though he were starved.

Ian made loud smacking sounds, his moans turning more desperate to taste his brother's seed.

"Fuck Ian, I'm gonna-"

Footsteps can be heard outside the bedroom door.

Alarmed, Lip's attention snapped to the bedroom door. Oh shit, was it locked? No, it didn't look like it was. "Ian, get off now," Lip whispered urgently.

Ian ignores his brother and he continues sliding up and down Lip's hard cock.

"I'm serious Ian!" Lip pulled at Ian's hair, eyes never leaving the door. By now his heart is racing and all he can hear is blood rushing though his ears.

The doorknob turned.

Ian wouldn't stop.

Lip was frozen in fear.

They were going to get caught.

The door opened and in stepped-

Lip jolted in his sleep and his eyes shot open. He shoved himself off of Ian's chest and looked at the door, heart racing from the panic he was experiencing.

The door was closed.

"Fuck....holy fuck..." Lip gasped softly and he looked down at his younger sibling.

Slack-jawed and motionless, Ian was fast asleep.

It was a dream. Thank fucking God it was a dream, well, more of a nightmare really. Lip sighed in relief and he shook his head, fucking Ian....always giving him weird sex dreams. Granted, it wasn't Ian's fault directly but it felt good to blame someone. He stared at Ian's peaceful expression, smiling a little when he saw a dribble of spit on the left corner of Ian's mouth. The kid still drooled in his sleep? Funny, Lip would have to tease him about it later. He reached out to wipe Ian's mouth but he paused when he noticed how bad his hand was shaking. Shit, his nerves were fried and over a damn dream. He needed a cigarette.

Lip carefully removed Ian's arm from his waist and slipped out of bed. He walked over to the window and cracked it open, followed by lighting up a cigarette and inhaling deeply. He can feel the smoke settling in his lungs, oh how the sweet nicotine crept into his shaky nerves. It was a soothing feeling, he'd rather have alcohol but a cigarette was a nice alternative. Lip stared out at the minimal traffic, most of the residents in south side walked. The sun changed positions and was now hovering on the west, Lip assumed it was late in the afternoon. Damn, they almost slept the whole day away.

"Can I have a drag?"

Lip turned and saw Ian standing, rubbing the back of his hands against tired eyes. He must've been zoning out pretty hard, he didn't hear Ian make a sound when he got up. "Sure." He held out the cigarette.

Ian approached and he took the cigarette, nodding with a grateful smile. "Thanks." He popped it between his lips and inhaled, a satisfied sigh pushed past his mouth.

Lip shrugged, "Yeah no problem." He turned back to face the window. "I gotta ask... You ever feel like your cheating on Trevor?"

"Hmm?" Ian is taken back by the question and he let his gaze follow Lip's out towards the window. "You're talking about me and you?"

Lip nodded.

"No, not really." Ian shrugged, "You're my brother Lip and loving you, well, it's natural."

Lip scoffed, "It's not natural to wanna fuck your brother."

Ian held the cigarette over an ash tray on the windowsill and flicked the loose ashes. "Is this conversation about me or you?"

"....You, obviously." Lip's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "You're the one who came onto me first, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember..." Ian thought about that fateful evening where he helped his intoxicated brother stagger home. How he admired the other male's sleeping face before stealing a kiss, without his permission no less. That kiss set a string of events off, events that were beyond Ian Gallagher's control. He was well aware of how inappropriate his feelings were towards his older sibling. It was fucked up, on every level.... but he couldn't help himself, he was undeniably attracted to Lip. He wasn't going to deny it either, Ian was never one to deny his heart. "I love you Lip."

"Yeah, I know." Lip debated on lighting up another cigarette.

"No, you don't." Ian set the cigarette down on the ash tray and turned to face his brother. He placed his hands on Lip's waist and turned him, so the two could look at one another.

Lip grumbled in disapproval but he didn't try to stop Ian. He glared up at his brother, cursing him for being the tallest Gallagher. "The fuck are you on about Ian?"

"I love you." Ian repeated and when Lip opened his mouth to make another snarky remark, Ian abruptly cut him off by kissing him.

Lip tensed up at the gesture.

Ian broke the kiss and he pressed his forehead against Lip's own. He stared into Lip's cautious blue eyes; his brother was guarded, why was he always so guarded? "I love you more then a brother should. I wanna be with you Lip, REALLY be with you. You know....like a real couple dating and shit."

Lip stared into emerald eyes, as usual they were gorgeous and full of love and sincerity. He listened to the words and ignored the way his heart started fluttering underneath his chest. Fuck... Ian might be delusional but NOT Lip Gallagher. There was no way he could indulge in his younger sibling's fucked up fantasy, even if..... "No. Not gonna happen." Lip shook his head and tried to pull away.

Ian squeezed his brother's hips and held him in place. "Why?" He tilted his head and began peppering Lip's neck with kisses. "You like this, don't you?" His lips part and he let his teeth graze the skin, following up with a few light bites.

Lip visibly trembled from the attention to his neck. Oh he liked it.... Lip was royally fucked. He tried to stick to his decision, but Ian was making it difficult. "No means no Ian....if you're gonna keep molesting me then I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Molesting? Is that what HE thinks this is?" Ian paused with the kissing and he shifted one hand over Lip's crotch.

"Don't you dar-"

Ian squeezed Lip's erection over his trunks.

Lip's breath hitched and without a second thought, he gave few hip thrusts against Ian's hand.

The reaction had the redhead smiling, "See? You want me just as much as I want you~" Ian growled hungrily against Lip's neck .

Teetering on the edge of self-control and chaos, Lip is tempted to give in to his desires. Ian seemed like he would be a good power bottom and Lip can picture it inside his head: That perfect body of his rolling on top of his cock while Lip enjoyed the show of a lifetime. The very thought has a wet spot forming in the front of his trunks. He closed his eyes and sighed, he can feel himself melting against Ian's touch and all his worry faded away. He was about to give up, about to give in to Ian's advances when he heard Fiona's voice downstairs.

"LIAM PUT THE KNIFE DOWN!" Fiona shouted.

"Awww I want more cake!!!" Liam wailed.

"No! You've had 6 pieces already Liam! Gimme the knife!" Fiona snapped.

"NOOO!" Liam's voice trailed out of the kitchen.

It sounds like Fiona and Debbie are pursuing Liam into the living room.

Lip smiles a little, he can picture the events taking place downstairs.

That's right, they weren't alone in the house.

The Gallagher house.

Lip was ready to fuck his little brother.

How messed up was that?

"Oh God..." Lip felt sick to his stomach. What the fuck? What he was about to do was repulsive, he had to get away from Ian. "Get the fuck off me!" Lip snarled and he aggressively shoved the redhead away.

Startled by the sudden change, Ian stumbled backwards and he stared at his brother in disbelief. "What's wrong?"

"THIS!" Lip motioned to Ian and himself with the flick of his hand. "You and me, this is wrong Ian. So. Fucking. Wrong." Lip accentuated each word, hoping to get his point across in spite of the serious bulge in his trunks.

".....What's so wrong about wanting to love you?" Ian appears hurt, looking like a sad puppy with his upturned eyebrows and pouty lips.

"Fuck." Lip gave an exasperated sigh. Ian wouldn't get it through his fucking head, go figure. Once a Gallagher made up their mind on something, there was no chance of changing it. "Just don't, I can't deal with this right now." Lip turned and made his way to the door.

Ian wasn't ready to give up. He was quick to capture his brother from behind by wrapping his arms around the other male's waist.

"Ian what the hell!?" Lip grunted and he threw a left elbow at Ian's face.

Ian dodged the strike and he nuzzled his face against Lip's blonde curly hair. "Stay."

"Fuck off." Lip leaned forward and without warning, he threw his head back.

Ian gasped when the back of Lip's head connected with his face. Pain blinded him for a few seconds and he let go of Lip. He staggered backwards, feeling blood streaming down his face; another bloody nose, great.

Lip huffed out an angry breath as he turned to look at Ian. "Jesus, give it up already."

Ignoring the pain in his face, Ian grinned. "Make me."

"......." Lip rolled his eyes, fucking Ian.... That grin was infectious, he almost smiled but he forced the frown to stay in place. "Clean up the blood." He reached for the doorknob.

Ian grabbed Lip from behind again but this time he threw his sibling to the floor.

Lip didn't expect Ian to try a 2nd time, but sure enough, he did. The elder sibling gasped when he was thrown; he lost his balance, stumbled, and collapsed on his back.

Ian was on top of Lip within in seconds, attempting to pin him down.

"Asshole!" Lip jerked his right hand away and struck Ian in the jaw with a closed fist.

Ian grunted from the pain but he was quick to raise his left elbow and bring it down hard against Lip's face.

Blinding pain shoots up Lip's nose and it travels throughout his face. His mouth hurts, Ian's elbow to the mouth made him bit down on his own tongue, now he could taste blood. He tried to shove Ian off.

A mixture of emotions floods Ian. He's excited, he's angry, he's hurt, and most of all he's confused. He knew Lip wanted him but why was he so stubborn? Did he repulse Lip in some way? How come he acted jealous in front of Trevor and everyone else? Why was Lip such a fucking tease? Ian put his hands on the floor and he threw his head down, headbutting Lip in the process.

"Ah!" The pain in Lip's face intensified. He's seeing stars and his body goes lax for a moment. Blood and saliva pooled inside his mouth, causing him to turn his head and spit it out.

Slightly dazed from the headbutt, Ian sits on Lip's chest, quietly panting as adrenaline coursed through his body. Ian's lower face is covered in blood, along with a few bruises Lip left on him from the earlier altercation. He watched his sibling turn his head and spit blood out on the floor, there was something eerily familiar about this whole scene... Was it even weirder if he was turned on by it? Ian didn't bother to hold Lip down, he kept his hands at his sides.

Lip wasn't sure what to make of his brother's assault. The kid was learning fast, usually Lip could outpower and outsmart him but this...this was a first. He looked up at Ian.

Their eyes meet.

Neither one moves and neither one speaks.

Lip raised his hands and gripped the collar on Ian's shirt.

The redhead doesn't move or say anything. Fuck, if Lip decides to headbutt him back.... Ian doesn't know if he'll be conscious afterwards.

Lip pulled Ian down.

Ian squeezed his eyes shut.

Their mouths meet in a rough kiss.

There's nothing soft or kind about it. It's full of frustration and pent up energy.

Ian moans happily into the kiss, eyes opening to meet Lip's intense gaze. He shifted his legs on the floor and lowered himself against his brother, he rolled his hips against Lip's.

Feeling Ian's arousal rubbing against his own, Lip let out a heated groan. He bucked his hips upward, matching Ian's movements.

As soon as his brother groaned, Ian captured Lip's tongue between his teeth and he sucked on it; he can taste blood and cigarettes.

Lip shivered when Ian started sucking on his tongue. He let one hand wrap around the back of Ian's head where he gripped a fistful of red hair. He pulled on it, forcing Ian's head back.

Ian reluctantly let go of Lip's tongue and he panted heavily.

Lip leaned up and latched onto Ian's neck, right above his Adam's apple. He bit down hard and started sucking, making sure to keep a firm grip on Ian's fiery red hair.

"Oh....." Ian closed his eyes and moaned softly. Fuck, he wished Lip was a bottom, he'd give anything to bury his 9-inch cock inside his brother's virgin ass. He could only imagine Lip's reaction and how good it would feel to have someone stimulate his prostate for the first time. It might be a far-fetched fantasy but Ian could hope...

Lip growled, he worked his jaw muscles together and soon enough his teeth broke skin, causing blood to pool in his mouth.

Shit. Was Lip marking Ian for his own? That...that was so fucking hot. Ian couldn't remember the last time he was this horny. Come to think of it, his sex life was never really violent, only when Mickey was involved. Sure they would beat the living shit out of each other and then fuck afterwards. It was unhealthy but so intoxicating. Ian didn't think he could ever feel that way again, let alone beat someone up that would result in an angry, passionate fuck. This was perfect... Unable to help himself, Ian pictured Mickey Milkovich. Mickey wasn't a biter but with enough alcohol, he'd decorate his ginger lover in bite shaped bruises. Ian missed that, he fucking missed his ex boyfriend...

"Fuuuck Mickey~" Ian accidentaly let the thought slip out loud.

Lip froze.

Ian's eyelids fluttered open when he realized what he said. "Oh shit, Lip I-"

Lip shoved the unsuspecting redhead off him.

Ian crashed onto his side and he scrambled onto his feet when Lip stood. "Lip wait-"

"Fuck off." Lip's voice was cold and threatening. He didn't even brother to look into Ian's eyes, if he did, he would see the panic and guilt. He reached up and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth to remove the blood.

The sound of Lip's voice shocks Ian. He stood in place, eyes watering up. "Don't go."

Lip doesn't say anything more. He turned around and left the bedroom.

"Ian you are so fucking stupid." The redhead reached up to wipe tears away from his eyes.

Lip descended the narrow stairway and walked into the kitchen where the rest of the Gallagher siblings are seated, minus Liam who was probably in his bedroom on timeout.

Fiona looked up from her seat, she has reading glasses on and appears to be going over inventory lists. "Jesus....did you and Ian get into another fight?"

"Yeah, something like that." Lip paused by the refrigerator. "Hey Fi, is that dishwasher job still available at the diner?"

"Yeah it's still up for grabs. Why? You interested?" Fiona removed her glasses.

Debbie is trying to feed Franny baked beans and potato salad but the infant is more interested in tossing food to the floor.

Lip glanced at Franny, a slight smile tugging on the corner of his mouth. He knew tricks to get the kid to eat but he was in a rush to get out of the house. "Yeah I'll take it. How soon can I start?"

Fiona blinked and quirked an eyebrow curiously. "It's yours then. First shift tomorrow is at 8:00am."

"I'll be there." Lip opened up the fridge door and grabbed a beer. "I'm going out. I'll be home late this evening."

Fiona and Debbie exchange glances. "You'll call me if anything comes up?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Lip rolled his eyes and he cracked open the beer. His face probably looked something awful and he would go clean up, however, he didn't want to deal with his whiny sibling. That fucker... Lip ignored the aching feeling in his chest. Fuck Ian Gallagher. Fuck Trevor. And Fuck Mickey Milkovich. Lip was going to drink them all away tonight and probably show up to work with a hangover, oh well. Lip chugged down the entire beer in just a few swift gulps.

"Hey Lip are you okay?" Debbie asked.

"Never better." Lip lied behind a grin. He tossed the empty beer bottle into the trash can and walked into the living room.

Ian is sitting at the bottom of the steps. He watched Lip with sad eyes, "Can we talk?"

Lip ignored his brother and strode right past him. He grabbed his jacket from the coat wrack and put it on, followed by a scarf and gloves.

Ian stood up and he walked over to the older Gallagher. "Lip, please..." His voice was low and pleading. "I'm sorry."

Lip kept his gaze averted and he went about to slipping on a pair of brown soft toe work boots. He laced them up and tied them off, he was growing more annoyed by the second. If Fiona and Deb weren't in the kitchen, he'd fucking punch Ian for what he said in the bedroom. Lip was beyond pissed and he needed to get away.

Ian fidgeted nervously for a few seconds....then he raised his right hand and gently touched Lip's shoulder.

Lip smacked Ian's hand away without casting him a single glance of acknowledgement. Lip stood up and turned away, stepping through the front door and closing it behind himself.

Ian could cry right then and there but he refrained, barely. He raised his arms over his head and folded them, forcing himself to inhale and exhale a deep breath. He fucked up.... He fucked up REALLY bad.

Tiny hands reach out and touch Ian's leg.

The redhead looked down and he saw a pair of light green eyes staring up at him. Franny cooed and held up both her hands to her uncle.

Ian leaned over and scooped his niece up into a fierce hug.

Franny squirmed and gigged, she instantly tried shoving her fingers inside Ian's mouth.

Ian was thankful for Franny's presence, it distracted him from the pain inside his heart. He growled playfully when Franny's fingers entered his mouth. He pretended to eat away at them, "AWWM NOM NOM! SO GOOD!"

Franny squealed with delight.

Ian laughed and he pulled his head away, come to think of it, he had no idea where Franny's hands have been. He was bloody and bruised and needed to clean up. He was also in need of advice but this was something he couldn't discuss with his siblings.... He could go to the smartest woman he knew, yeah, she would have some sound advice the redhead needed. Ian walked into the kitchen and returned Franny to her mother. When Fiona asked about what he and Lip were fighting about, Ian shrugged and mentioned it was over Lip's behavior towards Trevor. He purposely kept his head tilted downward, as though searching for something on the floor. He didn't want anyone to notice the bite mark on his throat that was evidently not there earlier during the barbecue.

Fiona accepted the answer without question and went back to checking inventory lists and the price markups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd the drama continues~
> 
> Does Lip have every right to be angry? Or is he overreacting because of his own conflicting feelings towards his brother? Stay tuned for more details xD hehe


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian tries to be honest and he definitely tries to follow his heart - but that lands him in painful, awful situations. There's only so much rejection a guy can handle, right? Especially when it's from the one person he looked up too his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything in brackets [ ] are text messages.

After the questionable events between him and his brother, Lip fled the house and went to a bar he used to frequent back in college- God that sounded pathetic... He hated himself for turning into the most useless Gallagher, next to his dad. Why stop there? He might as well indulge a self-fulfilling prophecy of turning into a complete fuck-up like Frank. Yeah, no other alternative right?

Lip only had enough money to buy a couple beers and by the time he finished his last, sorority girls flooded the bar. Now, his next move isn’t something he's particularly proud of… The urge to numb all emotions trumped courtesy. When a familiar girl approached the bar area, he cleared his throat: “Hey uh, Jennifer right?”

Jennifer glanced to her right, a glare on her face as if to ward off creepy men. However, once she recognized Lip, the girl let out a delighted squeal. “LIP GALLAGHER!!?? OH, MY, GOD!” She automatically took a seat next to him and clung to his left arm. “Where have you BEEN?! We miss you back at Alpha Omicron Pi!”

The smell of alcohol lingered on her breath, but Lip chose to ignore it. He feigned a polite smile and cooed softly, “Missed you too~” He considered throwing out another lie mixed with some truth; it would be harder to doubt. The blonde-haired male sighed and he looked down, his face contorting with grief. “Truth is, my mom passed away… I couldn’t… Couldn’t bring myself to go back to college, not when my family needed me back home.”

“Lip, I didn’t know…. I’m so, so sorry.” Jennifer pressed her cheekbone against his shoulder, and she stroked her hand up and down his arm. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No, not unless you can bring people back from the dead,” Lip followed up with a light laugh when Jennifer sulked. “I’m kidding babe, all I’m trynna do right now is drown my sorrows with alcohol.”

Jennifer perked up, “Oh! I can help with that.” She waved the bartender down, “Can we get 6 tequila shots?”

“Wow, you’re on a mission tonight huh?” Lip gently nudged her in the side with his elbow.

“Hell yeah! Just got done with finals and I DESERVE some drinks.” Jennifer pulled out her debit card and slapped it on the counter. “Start a tab! Me and my friends are getting shitfaced tonight!”

Nearby a group of girls cheered, presumably Jennifer’s friends.

Lip smiled when a tequila shot was shoved into his right hand. “A toast to Jennifer! Intelligent, beautiful, and a great body to boot!”

“I second that!!!” another girl screamed.

Lip, Jennifer, and 4 other girls clinked their shot glasses together. They down the tequila effortlessly and Jennifer throws out a dozen more orders of shots, mixed drinks, and beer.

Eventually, Lip and the group of girls go back to the sorority house; he convinced them he was the least drunk and should drive Jennifer’s car. That was a lie. Familiar with the roads and college campus, Lip drove the appropriate speed limit and transported the partygoers’ home without any hiccups. He had to carry Jennifer in and lay her down on the couch, followed by ushering her drunk friends into the house. It wasn’t too bad; everyone was ready to pass out.

Closing the door, Lip wandered into the kitchen and sat down on a bar stool chair. He checked the time on his phone, the glowing screen indicated it was 3:58 a.m. Shit, he had work in 4 hours and it would take at least 1 hour to get back home on the subway train… Truth be told, he didn’t want to go back home and he was beginning to wonder if it will ever feel like ‘home’ again. It was just…too weird and uncomfortable between him and Ian.

‘Guess I’ll wait until work starts’, he thought to himself. He closed his phone, tucked it in his pocket, and walked over to the fridge. He opened it up and searched for something to eat.

“Hey.”

Lip raised his hands above his head and whipped around on his heels, “Wasn’t stealing! Looking for something to eat-”

One of Jennifer’s friends rushed forward and she grabbed Lip by his jacket. She yanked him forward, attacking his lips with a ravening kiss.

“Mmmf!” Lip had to brace himself against the fridge and he grabbed the girl by her arms, eyes wide with shock. Her invasive tongue pushed into his mouth and he could taste raspberry flavored vodka; wasn’t awful, he kind of liked it. He relaxed and leaned into the kiss, tilting his head ever so slightly. Was it Amber? Angela? Ariel? He couldn’t fucking remember her name.

Mystery ‘A’ girl moaned into the kiss and she let go of Lip’s jacket, reaching down to fumble at his pants. Clumsy fingers grip the button, push it open, and then she unzipped him.

Lip broke the kiss, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I wanna fuck you,” she said.

Under the fluorescent lighting of the fridge, Lip can see the girl is a redhead and her eyes are – Oh, fuck his life, they’re GREEN. A heavy pit formed in his stomach, making him clench his abdomen muscles and inwardly cringe. “Sorry I can’t do this.” He grabbed her by the wrists and prevented her from jerking his pants down.

“Aww that’s okay baby,” she slurred, “Your wife or girlfriend doesn’t have to know, this can be out little secret~”

“No, it’s not that... I mean, I’m single but…” Lip didn’t know how to explain it, nor did he want to. He pushed her back a little and stepped around her. He zipped his pants up and made his way to the to the living room, knowing he couldn’t stay. Helené had a restraining order on him; he could get into some series trouble if the campus found out about his early morning visit.

“WAIT!”

Lip froze and he slowly turned around, seeing the redhead standing in the kitchen entryway.

“Is it me? Am I not attractive enough?” she sounded genuinely upset.

“No, no, you’re gorgeous it’s just uh, redheads ain’t really my type.”

“You know…” She took a few steps closer and tugged her shirt down, revealing a pink lace bra. “You can pretend I’m someone else~ I could be….your high school crush?”

Lip raised his right hand, “Look, I gotta get going-”

“Or an ex-girlfriend,” she interrupted, “-maybe a previous teacher?”

The comment made him furrow his eyebrows. He didn’t know how to address that last comment.

The reaction encouraged a sly smile and she purred softly, “Oh that doesn’t get your dick wet huh? Hmm, how about we role-play something darker?” She was close enough to touch her breasts against Lip’s outstretched hand, “I can be your little sister?”

Instant nausea swept through him and Lip’s body convulsed. Before he could stop himself, the intoxicated blonde puked all over the girl’s chest.

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Lip scarcely remembers stumbling out of the sorority house and running down the street, the girl’s earsplitting scream reverberating inside his head.

Not wanting to go home, Lip wanders to a vacant area underneath a park bridge – he made sure it was uninhabited by doing a thorough search with his cellphone flashlight. It was chilly outside, but Lip did not intend to fall asleep; work was a few hours away. He curled up on his side and dozed off here and there, until his cellphone alarm went off at 6:00 a.m.

Having no money to catch the subway train, Lip trekked for 2 hours across the city until arriving at Patsy’s Pies. He pushed the door open, listened to a bell chime, and paused by the counter.

Fiona rounded the corner with a money-bag in one hand and the keys to the register in the other. She stopped when she spotted her younger sibling. “Oh! You actually came in.”

“Surprise, surprise,” he said flatly.

The restaurant owner hummed in acknowledgement and moved over to the cash register. She unlocked it and unzipped the money-bag, dispensing cash and change into the tray. “You’re 20 minutes late. I’m docking that out of your paycheck.”

“Fine, whatever.” Lip unzipped his jacket and shrugged it off, shifting it to his left hand. He walked over to his sister, “Okay so what do you need me to do first?”

“I need you to-” Fiona trailed off and she stood up straight, nose wrinkling at the horrid stench. “Lip you smell like a bar, what the fuck?!”

“Hmm, wonder if it has anything do with hanging out at the bars all night?”

The sarcastic tone doesn’t go unnoticed and Fiona huffed out an irritated breath. “Go into my office and grab one of the new polo shirts and I got some perfume sitting on my desk. SPRAY yourself down, and I mean like… drench yourself in it. Then you can grab an apron from the kitchen and start mopping the floors. Jason had to leave early last night so the floors are still covered in food and shit.” She tossed the keys to her brother.

Lip caught the keys midair and nodded, “Okay boss.” He sauntered down the length of the counter, took a right, and made his way down the hallway. He passed the kitchen, the restrooms, a storage closet, and finally reached Fiona’s office. He tested out several keys before locating the right one. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, flicking the lights on as he did so.

Double-panel windows, single desk, 6 black filing cabinets and STACKS of unlabeled paperwork. “I thought Liam was bad for clutter.” He searched the room and found pile of brand new work shirts in the corner of the room. He draped his jacket over a swiveling desk chair, along with his faded blue t-shirt. He picked out an XL polo shirt and ripped it out of the plastic covering. He slipped it on and adjusted the collar, closing the 2 buttons afterwards; there’s a giant slice of cherry pie on the center of the shirt, with ‘PATSY’S PIES’ in big, bold letters on the top. Leave it to Fiona to pick the cheesiest logo design.

Clean shirt, a few spritz of Fiona’s cheap perfume, and a secured apron, Lip was ready to start his shift, sort of. The guy was still drunk and he dreaded the impending hangover... He downed a quick cup of coffee to wash the nasty aftertaste in his mouth before tackling the diner floors. He swept up, mopped, and cleaned off every single table prior to the first customers’ arrival.

Somewhere in South Side, in the wee morning hours…

“YOU CHEATED?!” Sue shouted.

“NOT SO FUCKING LOUD!” snapped Ian, emerald eyes darting around nervously.

“I can’t believe you,” hissed the no-nonsense woman. She grabbed a handful of condoms and chucked them at Ian’s head.

Ian flinched when colorful squares flew into his face. It was painless and humiliating, making his cheekbones turn a dark shade of crimson.

Some of the teenagers whispered amongst each other, glancing back and forth from Sue to Ian.

“Great… Thanks,” he muttered in annoyance. The redhead bended over and started picking up all the condoms off the pavement.

“Your welcome asshole,” she grumbled. Debating on throwing something heavier at her co-worker, Sue caught a flash of movement and turned her head.

“E-excuse me?...” A petite girl squeaked; she had short blonde hair and an over-size hoodie with black leggings. Her clothing is exceptionally dirty and tattered, rags more than anything. The manner in which she fidgeted and ground her teeth together suggested junkie.

Sue’s expression softened into a heartening smile, “Yes Carrie? What can I do for you?”

Carrie averted her brown eyes, feeling too shameful to meet the older woman’s kind gaze. “N-need a couple needles, t-that is if you can spare any.”

“Of course my dear!” Sue shot Ian a death glare and leaned into the open ambulance doors, rummaging through a box. She opened up a blue box, stuck her hand in, and retrieved a handful of syringes; each is covered in a protective plastic casing.

‘Big softy’, Ian thought to himself. He was all too familiar with Sue’s bitchy side but the redhead knew his supervisor was a big teddy bear inside. She was always going on about love, commitment, honest relationships AND she had a tender spot for kids, even though she would never admit it. He handed out condoms to multiple juveniles, while ignoring the heated daggers Sue cast his way.

Carrie extended her hand for the clean needles, until Sue tutted.

“Tsk, tsk, Carrie you know how this works. For every dirty needle you turn over, I’ll give you a clean one.”

“O-okay, hang on a sec…” Carrie rummaged through her hoodie pocket and retrieved 3 used needles, the tips burnt black. “Here you go, I a-appreciate it Sue.”

“I appreciate you hun! Thank you for your participation in safe needle disposal.” Sue carefully wrapped her blue latex fingers around the dirty sharps and removed them from Carrie’s grip. She disposed the syringes in a red biohazard box and discarded the glove right after. She slipped on a clean glove, counted out 5 clean syringes, and handed them over to the jittery teen.

“Thank you Sue,” Carrie murmured and she walked over to Ian, intentionally cutting to the front of the line.

Disgruntled teenagers cursed in Spanish and English at the rude gesture.

“It’s okay guys,” Ian reassured them and he gave Carrie a small roll of condoms.

Unwilling to make eye contact with anyone, Carrie shuffled off around the building and disappeared into an alleyway; nobody paid her a 2nd thought.

The radio blared from within the ambulance, an urgent voice calling out: “Rollover on highway 85! Approx. 25 female and 32 male, no minors.”

“Shit.” Sue put the rest of the clean syringes away and she closed her side of the ambulance. She rushed to the front of the vehicle while Ian threw the condoms into the back and slammed the 2nd door shut. Hopping onto the driver’s seat, Sue picked up a handheld radio from its receiver and pressed the talk button. “This is 8277, we’re en route from South Side, Boulevard Ave.”

Ian slid into the passenger seat, closed the door, and buckled himself in.

“Copy that 8277, police have blocked off traffic on both ends of the highway and are anticipating your arrival. Over and out.” The radio clicked.

Sue hung the radio up and flicked the ambulance sirens on, which blared loudly and shattered the content space. She buckled in, shifted the vehicle in drive, and tore off into the not-so-busy street; South Side didn’t have a lot of traffic, at least, not in the run down areas. The senior EMT veered around cars and raced down the streets, taking sharp turns that would lead them onto the freeway.

“What I’ve come to learn from cheating men…. Is they never TRULY loved me to begin with. If they had, they never would’ve fallen for somebody else,” she said in a serious tone.

Ian tried to swallow the sticky lump in his throat. He glanced at the elder, lips pursed together in a tight-lipped frown. “I’m a fuckup, I know that now. I’m every bit like Monica, she couldn’t stay faithful to Frank or anyone for that matter.”

Sue exhaled a somewhat frustrated sigh, and she sensibly weighed in on her next choice of words. “Stop blaming your problems on your mom Ian… She’s, well she’s moved on and her influence can no longer be credited to your awful choices.”

Ian looked down at the floor, eyes watering up slightly. Sue was right, got fucking damnit she was ALWAYS right.

“Listen,” Sue’s voice softened, “You care for Trevor, hell you care for every single guy you stick your dick in. That’s not a bad thing per say, it just means you feel emotions more intensely compared to others. I suggest you come clean and tell Trevor you’re cheating on him, and how long it’s been going on for.”

“So I….don’t have to tell him ‘who’?” Ian stole a cautious glance at his supervisor.

“That depends on Trevor…. Should he ask then you HAVE to tell him, he has every right to know who you fucked him over for,” said Sue.

The information punches Ian in the face, provoking a miserable groan. He slid further down into his seat and covered his face with his hands. “I don’t…. I don’t know if I can Sue, I don’t want to hurt Trevor again. Besides…. It’s not like this other guy wants to be in a relationship with me, he hates me now and refuses to talk to me. It was just a one-time thing, I swear.”

“Hmm…” Sue ignored Ian’s pity party and shrugged her shoulders, “How did you find out Caleb was cheating?”

The question has Ian peeking through his fingers and he stared at Sue’s nonchalant face. “I… I noticed he was acting weird, blowing me off and straight up ignoring me. I asked Lip to go with me and follow the guy… We tailed him on the subway train, went clear across town, and that’s when I saw him kissing a woman I’d never met before.”

“Mhmm, and when you saw Caleb tonguing this mystery woman, how did it make you feel?”

“Like a piece of shit…” Ian mumbled.

“Exactly. Do you want Trevor to discover your one-time affair in a similar fashion?”

Ian considered her words. He was right in his assumption to go to Sue for help; she was more than just his boss and friend… She was a maternal figure that had her priorities set straight. He avoided going to Fiona for guidance because of her new obsession with the Tinder app; HOLY SHIT, he couldn’t believe how many men she was banging every night. Ian was used to Fiona bringing random men home for a quick fuck, but it wasn’t fair to push that on Liam and Franny; they didn’t need to see that shit.

Sighing, Ian shook his head and lowered his hands from his face. “No… I don’t wish that on Trevor or anyone…”

“Good, because you and I both know how much it hurts,” Sue’s voice strained a little and she squeezed the driver’s wheel until her knuckles turned bone-white.

“Sue?” Ian sat up straighter.

“What?” She kept her gaze on the road as they neared the police barricade.

“Thank you.”

“For what? Being a bitch?”

“No,” Ian chuckled, “For being truthful and never telling me to fuck off.”

“Oooh, trust me, I’ve been wanting to tell you that since I discovered that bullshit lie on your resume,” said Sue.

“True and once you got to know me… You knew deep down in your cold heart that you had a thing for gingers.” Ian smirked and theatrically flicked a hand through his red hair, “Cougars can’t resist my boyish charms. It’s a flaw really~”

“Fuck you!” Sue flipped Ian off but an undeniable twitch curved her lips into a smile.

Ian grinned, “Only if you got a strap on.”

“Oh, OHHH! You wanna fight huh?” Sue curled a fist and threw a punch at Ian’s shoulder.

The redhead flung himself forward against the front console to avoid the hit, “Abuse of power! I’m reporting this!”

Before Sue could issue a witty comeback, an officer flagged the ambulance down and had the squad vehicles clear the way.

Both EMTs spotted the overturned car and a pool of blood on the right side.

“Game face Gallagher,” Sue instructed, dropping the hilarity from her voice.

“Got it.” Ian readied himself and grabbed some medical supplies from the back of the ambulance.

Ironically enough, Trevor texted Ian to meet up at local café during lunch break. Usually the 2 men are busy on weekdays and it’s a rare occurrence when their schedules line up.

Around 1:00 p.m., Ian arrives at the café in his work attire and he idly stands outside the building, waiting for Trevor. He plays with his phone, trying to act like a normal person who isn’t about to shit in their pants right now. Sue’s advice replayed in his head, urging him to get this over and done with, like ripping off a Band-Aid; the longer he prolongs it, the worse it gets.

Speaking of bandages….

Ian reached up and gingerly touched the front of his neck. Upon clocking in at work, Ian took a couple pieces of gauze and taped it to his neck to hide the unsightly hickey. He tried to play it off and explain how some asshole at the bar shoved their burning cigarette against his neck – yeah, that didn’t work out well. Everyone teased the hell out of him, including Sue, that is, until he told her the truth behind his injury.

“Fuck,” the redhead was having second thoughts. He jumped when his phone suddenly vibrated in his hand, nearly dropping it in the process. He entered his passcode and opened up a text message from Fiona.

[Lip showed up for work this morning.]

Fingers move to type up a response and a relieved sigh escaped Ian’s lips.

[Thanks for the update, is he okay?]

The phone vibrated a few seconds later.

[Besides the hangover? Yeah, he’s fine.]

“Hangover,” Ian repeated. That irritated him a little… He pictured the night they drank at the Alibi, when Lip got sloppy drunk. Ian had only meant to peck his brother’s lips with a kiss but it ended up turning out into a hot make-out session, no thanks to Lip’s aggressive actions. 

Was Lip doing that with other men?

No, Lip was heterosexual….right?

Or was he a closeted bi-sexual?

Whatever the case was, Ian didn’t want Lip kissing anyone else … Not while he’s intoxicated at least.

“Hey Ian.”

Ian gasped and this time he dropped his cell phone. He sucked in a breath and held it, wincing when the cellular device hit cement.

“Shit Gallagher, jumpy much?” Trevor chuckled in amusement and he leaned down, plucking the phone from the sidewalk. He dusted it off and checked the object for any damages. “Huh, your phone case protected it. Look,” he held the phone up to Ian’s face, “-no scratches or fractures.”

“Y-yeah, haha.” Ian’s nervous laughter didn’t sound convincing. He took his phone from Trevor and put it away, “Should we uh, go inside?”

“No, I thought we should stand outside the doors for a while, make people uncomfortable you know?”

“…….” Ian looked confused.

“I’m kidding! What is it with you today?” Trevor opened up the glass door and motioned for Ian to go in first. “You’re so uptight these days.”

“Sorry. Work, stress, and the usual family dysfunction that comes along with it…” Ian stepped inside the air-conditioned building and looked at the line of people. “I know it’s not an excuse-”

Trevor took Ian’s right hand in his own and interlocked their fingers, leaning up on his tiptoes to nuzzle a kiss against his strong jawline. “Mmm, no it isn’t BUT, you can always make it up to me. First, let’s start by getting in line and ordering a couple of big trains, okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good start.” Ian squeezed Trevor’s hand and he guided his boyfriend over to the end of the line. He stared ahead, pretending to read over the menu items but it was absolute chaos inside his head. Did Trevor see the bandage over his neck? Was he going to ask about it? Should Ian tell a lie or the truth? Would it be better to order drinks first and find a nice, quiet table outside? ‘Oh great idea Einstein, softening the blow with Starbucks beverages? Can you be anymore stupid?!’ he cussed himself out silently.

Trevor leaned against Ian’s side, absentmindedly stroking his thumb over the other male’s knuckles.

The gesture soothed Ian’s frazzled nerves, to an extent.

The line moved at a consistent pace, not too fast or too slow. Ian claims he doesn’t know what to order, so he lets Trevor order for the both of them; 2 white chocolate trains with whip cream and sugar sprinkles.

Hand-in-hand, the lovebirds take their drinks outside and take seat on a wooden bench, shaded by a green canopy above.

“Oh my God, this…this is amazing~” Trevor sipped on his beverage, purring in content.

“Yeah.” Ian took a drink and it tasted like sand to him…. He balanced his big train on his left thigh, realizing how sweaty his palm was against Trevor’s own. He was still wracking at his brain for the right words to say.

“Did you and Lip patch things up?”

“What?!” Ian almost jolted in his seat and looked at Trevor, panic written all over his face.

Trevor’s brown hues never left Ian’s face and he raised an eyebrow, perplexed by his boyfriend’s odd behavior. “The barbecue? You know, Liam’s birthday party the other day?”

“OH! Y-yeah everything’s good. We threw a couple punches at each other but that’s the only way to settle a Gallagher dispute.” Ian tried sipping on his overpriced, flavorless Starbucks beverage.

“I see.” Trevor let his gaze wander over to the road and he watched the busy traffic. “You seem…I don’t know, paranoid? You want to tell me what’s going on?”

Fuck. Ian set his drink down on the pavement and he could no longer feel his hand in Trevor’s grasp; his body tingled and everything fell numb. What was he supposed to say? He didn’t want to lose Trevor for good… Exhaling a shaky breath, Ian spoke in a hushed voice because if he were any louder, Trevor would hear his heart breaking. “Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting what we want, that we forget to ask ourselves why we wanted it in the first place.”

Trevor doesn’t say anything at first. He leans back in his seat and bit by bit retracts his hand out of Ian’s sweaty grip. He wiped it dry on his cargo shorts before addressing the comment. “Why are we together...? Is that the question you’re talking about?”

Ian nods.

The brunette inclines forward and rises to his feet, drink in one hand, and a curled fist in the other. He’s beyond upset but not for the reason Ian thought. “Is this your idea of a joke?”

“Huh?” Ian looked up at the other male.

Trevor turned and narrowed his eyes on Ian, a scowl on his face. “I mean, you’re a pretentious fuck if you think I haven’t noticed the hickey on your neck. Are you causally waiting for me to bring it up?” He swiveled around and faced the other male. “I gave you a chance to explain yourself but instead you’re spouting out philosophical bullshit. What am I supposed to say Ian?! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WHEN YOU CAN’T TELL THE TRUTH STRAIGHT TO MY FUCKING FACE?!!!!”

“T-Trevor” gasped Ian. He clung to the arm of the bench and leaned back, his face burning red from embarrassment and guilt. He stammered out broken up sentences, none of which made sense.

Outside patrons and pedestrians paused, their attention concentrated on the quarreling pair.

As much as Trevor feared the answer, he blurted the question plaguing his mind: “When did you start cheating on me? Was it after I left the barbecue?”

Emerald eyes turn away from the scorching gaze and he stared at the wooden bench, idly scratching his fingernails against the fading paint. “N-no… It was… right after me and you got back together.”

If words could kill, then Trevor would be deceased. His mind couldn’t fathom the idea that Ian could parade around in his life, pretending like he cares about Trevor’s feelings, pretending like he’s devoted and faithful. Cruel, fucking, irony. He knew he shouldn’t have let Ian Gallagher back into his life and now he regretted it, he regretted it all.

A bitter laugh pushed past Trevor’s lips, “Hah! To think, I almost believed you could change. Go figure.” He shook his head in disapproval and pulled the lid off his big train beverage. “I should’ve known really, dating a younger guy with all this personal baggage…. What was I THINKING?!.”

Hesitant, Ian looked back up at Trevor, eyes watering up from the remorse of his actions. “I didn’t mean …. I never wanted to hurt you Trevor, I swear to God, t-this won’t happen again. If y-you could just give me a chance-”

Out of nowhere, Trevor threw his drink in Ian’s face.

Cold, pale liquid soaked his EMT shirt and whip cream clung to his red hair.

The frigid temperature caused Ian to yelp and he jumped to his feet. He tried wiping the mess away from his eyes and nose.

Trevor tossed his empty cup into a nearby trashcan and proceeded to walk away.

Ian’s right hand shot out and he clutched onto Trevor’s wrist. “Wait.”

Yanking his hand out Ian’s, the brunette wheeled around fast and he suddenly threw a right-handed hook at his unsuspecting ex-boyfriend.  

Pain shot up Ian’s nose, temporarily blinding him. He stumbled back, tripped on his own feet, and landed on the sidewalk with a soft thud. Thankfully, he landed on his butt, and the cushioned blow didn’t hurt nearly as much as the assault on his face. He couldn’t see Trevor, just a blurry brown blob, but he can certainly hear his voice. Ian listened.

“I hate you, Ian Gallagher.” Trevor’s voice was gravelly and laced with hostility. When he spoke, it sounded like rusty nails to a chalkboard, demonstrating profound animosity towards the other. “I will hate you for the rest of my life. Do NOT contact me, do NOT come around my building, and stay the fuck away from my kids. You got that asshole?!”

Numb, Ian manages a stiff nod.

Trevor left, for good this time.

It’s almost 4:30 p.m., close to quitting time for the morning workers; evening shift will be arriving soon.

The bell chimes and Fiona looked up with a big grin, “Good afternoon! Welcome to Patsy’s P-” She stopped short and looked the peculiar man up and down. She noticed dried blood underneath his nose and some white, cakey substance in his hair and on his clothes. “Ian? Are you okay?” She set the coffee pot down on the counter and rushed up to her little brother. She cupped Ian’s face and thoroughly examined his face for any other injuries, “Did this happen during work?”

Sniffling, Ian tried to look anywhere else but Fiona’s concerned gaze; his eyes are red and puffy, like he’d been crying. “I’m fine Fi, and no this didn’t happen during work… I was on my lunch break, and…yeah…” He didn’t want to go into too much detail.

“Oh…okay.” Fiona looked over her shoulder, “Hey Sierra can you get me a damp washcloth? And grab-”

“Is Lip here?” Ian interrupted.

“What?” Fiona looked back at her brother, “Uh yeah, he’s here. He’s in the back, dishwasher duty.”

“Thanks,” Ian tried to offer up a reassuring smile, but it came off as a lopsided and totally unconvincing. “I needa talk to him, I’ll only be a few minutes.” He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, and he stepped around Fiona, making his way to the back of the restaurant.

Fiona watched her brother disappear around the corner and she shrugged her shoulders, pushing out a semi-frustrated exhalation. “Boys will be boys I guess.” She picked up her coffee pot again and went around the diner, refilling every single cup that was low on caffeine.

An odd mixture of food and soap hit his nostrils when Ian entered the kitchen area.

The cook glanced up at Ian, then went back to flipping burgers and steaks.

Lip happened to look up after setting a tray of soapy dishes onto a conveyor belt. He let go, took a step back, and dried his hands off on his white apron. “Jesus Ian, you look like shit.”

The redhead had a look of urgency on his face and he approached his older brother, “We need to talk.”

Apprehension filtered into Lip’s veins and he threw out his right hand to stop Ian from moving any closer.

Ian stopped inches away from Lip’s hand, but his emerald eyes focused on Lip’s hazel blue orbs. “Can you take a break?”

“I already took my 15,” he lied. Fuck, he really didn’t want to see or talk to Ian right now; it was bringing up a lot of uncomfortable feelings and memories. “I’m working right now so I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” Lip dismissed his brother and moved over to a sink.

Weight crushed Ian’s chest, forcing him to desperate measures. “Do you love me?”

Lip tensed up and he squeezed a silver mixing bowl in his hands, until his knuckles turned bone white. He pretended he didn’t hear his brother and resumed washing the bowl out.

That does it. Ian inhaled a deep breath and practically shouted at the top of his lungs: “LIP GALLAGHER DO YOU LOVE ME?! OR DO YOU FUCKING HATE ME?!”

The cook, a busboy, and several waitresses paused to look over at Ian; even the diner went eerily quiet.

BANG!

Lip threw the silver mixing bowl against the sink and he turned around. He marched over to Ian and grabbed him by his wrist, clenching down in a death grip. He dragged Ian out of the kitchen, muttering curse words along the way.

“L-Lip!?” Ian almost tripped over his own feet. He struggled to keep up as his wrist throbbed underneath the tight grip.

The blonde guided them to the back entrance, and he kicked it open, rushing forward and literally throwing Ian forward. As an added measure, he threw his left foot into Ian’s ass, purposely knocking his brother off his feet.

Ian hissed softly when he skidded a few inches across rocky asphalt, scarping both arms and his chin. He lay on his stomach for a second, trying to comprehend what just happened. He carefully pushed himself up and rolled around, still seated on the ground.

Lip is fuming mad, his face is red and he’s panting lightly; it looked like a vein was about to pop out of his forehead and neck. “HATE! WITH A CAPITOL FUCKING H-A-T-E! I HATE YOU IAN! GET A FUCKING LIFE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

That’s the second time today someone expressed their hate for Ian Gallagher.

Maybe it was true. He really WAS like Monica whose children didn’t even love her, with one exception.

There’s one too many things going on inside Ian’s head, one too many emotions to deal with. He opened his mouth to apologize for his actions and unwanted words, that is, until Monica’s voice floated into his mind. A memory flashed in his mind.

(Flashback between Monica and Ian) “You need to be with people who accept you for who you are, and they’re out there. You should never apologize for being you. You, Ian. I love you.”

A soft sob left his lips and Ian reached up, using the back of his hand to wipe away tears. Monica was the only one who ever understood his pain and she never tried to change him, no matter how fucked up he thought he was. That was love, right? Ian wanted to experience it again, so badly… To love and be loved in return. It would seem he wasn’t meant for that fairytale, or anything remotely good. He always fucked things up in the end, like true, fucking Gallagher.

Lip would be lying if he said he didn’t feel bad, but pride and ego reserved his silence. He watched Ian struggle to climb to his feet and when he did, the two brothers are at a standoff again.

They stare at one another, neither attempting to speak or move.

Ian is the first to break the tense air between them. “You can hate me, Lip…. You can go out there and-” his voice rose dangerously high, on the verge of hysteria, “-SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT ABOUT ME!!! BUT YOU WILL LOVE ME!!!” Then, just as quickly as he reacted, he deflated. His shoulders slumped and Ian could barely maintain eye-contact. “Later…you will love me later because I told you the truth.”

“What the fuck are you talking-”

The redhead began walking away from the diner, ignoring Lip entirely.

Lip’s eyes widened slightly and he relaxed a little. Granted, he wanted Ian to leave him alone but… There was something odd about his body language; the kid moved at a determined pace, like he had somewhere to be. Was he going back to work? He brushed off his worry and ambled over to a nearby dumpster. He leaned against the warm blue surface and retrieved a pack of cigarettes from his mouth. By the time he got the thing lit, Ian had disappeared.

Out of sight. Out of mind. That’s a good thing…. At least, that’s what Lip tried to convince himself of. He ignored the aching in his chest and he definitely didn’t pay attention to the way his hands trembled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! It's been ages since I updated this fic. I don't have any excuses, my bad, just kinda took a break on it and went with other stuff. 
> 
> Ian's mental health is deteriorating, as would anyone else if they got rejected twice in one day (poor ginger bear). Anyway I tried to throw in a sort of parallel, when Ian confronted Mickey and told him to admit he's gay and that he loves him - well he unwittingly did the same to Lip, and things ended badly (as usual). 
> 
> More family drama to ensue~ I didn't forget this fanfic, don't worry. I just take a really long time to come up with content and finding time to write it all down xD
> 
> Btw, Ian's last sentence in this chapter is a quote by Mary J. Blige, thought it was rather fitting for the dialogue.
> 
> OHHHH! As a side note. I do NOT know how the lingo goes between a dispatcher and ambulance/EMT. I tried looking up some practice scripts but I only came across 911 dispatchers receiving calls and answering (not relaying them over to an EMT.) So if it sounds off or doesn't make sense, I apologize.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ian has been missing for a little over 2 weeks and his family is worried. Lip decides to visit a few of Ian's former boyfriends in hopes they might have seen or heard from the redhead.

Life proceeds in the normal Gallagher fashion; chasing Frank out of the house, chastising Lip for his drinking habits, lecturing Debbie on proper daycare providers, and bitching Fiona out because of the numerous men showing up at the house to proclaim their love for the woman.

Liam, the only good egg out of the bunch, is spared any and all reprimanding

Several days pass until a week elapsed.

The lack of Ian Gallagher’s presence doesn’t perturb any of his siblings. They all assume the redhead is staying over at Trevor’s house and is far too busy to give them a call.

It’s 6:00 p.m. on a Friday when an unexpected visitor arrives at the Gallagher home.

Somebody is knocking on the door.

“Liam can you get that?!” Fiona called over her shoulder, while attempting to fry hamburger over a shitty propane burner.

“Can’t! NBA Showdown!” the young male shouted.

“Fuck,” Fiona looked up at the ceiling, “LIP?! DEBS?!”

Debbie is in the shower while Franny is fast asleep in her crib.

Lip is lying in bed with his headphones on, blasting various R&B songs.

The knocking persisted.

“Guess it’s medium-rare hamburgers tonight,” she griped. Fiona turned the burner off, set the spatula down, and walked out of the kitchen. She walked past Liam and the couch, making her way to the front door. She opened it up and was surprised to see Ian’s supervisor. “Sue?”

“Fiona, sorry to drop in unannounced.” Sue retrieved an envelope from the inner lining of her jacket and held it out to Fiona. “Today is payday and Ian didn’t show up to collect his check. Thought I’d drop it off with you.”

“Oh yeah? That’s fine, I’ll make sure he gets it.” Fiona took the offered envelope.

“Hey… Is everything alright with you and the family?” Sue inquired.

“Huh?” Fiona blinked and she crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Well… Ian hasn’t shown up for work at all this week-”

“Wait… Come again?” Fiona’s scrunched up her nose and shook her head in disbelief. “Are you saying Ian skipped a week of work and you’re only telling me NOW?!”

Unfazed by Fiona’s raised voice, Sue nodded. “Yes, I assumed personal matters or possibly a family death? We all need time to process grief, hence why I didn’t contact you immediately.”

Fiona exhaled a soft sigh and she uncrossed her arms, nervously running a hand through her brunette locks. “Shit, he hasn’t been home… I figured he was staying at his boyfriend’s house.”

Sue’s brown eyes flickered with recognition. “Ian took an early lunch last Friday, said he was going to meet Trevor at some café on 10th street.  He never came back to work after that, and my phone calls went straight to voicemail.”

“Thank you for informing me Sue, I’ll be sure to find him.” Fiona was about to close the door until pausing, “Uhm, is Ian fired?”

The older woman snorted, “The other crew might start a riot over this but…. Yeah, sure, why not? For reliable workers, I’ll stick my neck out.”

“You’re the best Sue,” Fiona smiled, “And I can see why Ian looks up to you.”

“Flattery don’t charge these batteries Gallagher,” Sue rolled her eyes and she turned around, descending the wooden porch steps. “Just make sure you kick his ass for me when you find him, okay?”

“Deal!” Fiona yelled. She closed the door and walked back into the living room area. She used the envelope to fan herself, it was hot inside the house. “Hey Liam, have you seen or heard from Ian lately?”

“Nope,” Liam shook his head, his attention glued to the T.V. screen. His fingers moved swiftly, furiously jabbing at buttons and controlling his team – The Phoenix Suns are his current favorite.

“Hmm… You got half an hour left kiddo, then it’s homework time.” Fiona went upstairs, hearing Liam shouting at the T.V. and throwing out a string of curses; he was starting to sound like a Gallagher. She approached Debbie’s bedroom door and knocked, “Debs?”

“Just a minute!”

There’s movement inside the bedroom and after 30 seconds, the door swings open. Debbie had her wet hair wrapped up in a towel, turban style, and she had on a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top. “Yeah?”

“Have you seen Ian? Has he called you or the house phone?”

“Uhhh, no. It’s been awhile since he stopped by the house.”  Debbie stepped back inside her room and moved over to Franny’s crib. She checked on her daughter and smiled fondly at her, “She looks like an angel when she’s sleeping.”

Fiona entered the bedroom and followed Debbie’s gaze. She smiled at her niece and hummed in agreement, “She looks like you when you were that age.” Sue’s words echoed in her head, bringing her back the conundrum that needed to be addressed. “Well he disappeared from work last Friday, didn’t come back after his lunch break.”

“Really?” Debbie looked up from the crib, “You think he’s off his meds?”

“That or something is really, REALLY stressing him out. Whenever he’s upset, his medication doesn’t work and he’s not good at self-management…”

Debbie reached out and touched Fiona’s arm, “Don’t worry Fi, we’ll find him.”

“I hope so, I’m worried he’s gonna do something stupid.” Fiona took her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “I’m gonna ask Lip if he’s heard from Ian, maybe his disappearance has something to do with their fight after the barbecue.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Debbie nodded and she pulled her hand away, reaching up to remove the towel off her head.

Fiona walked across the hallway and knocked on Lip’s bedroom door – Lip was the only one who still shared a bedroom with his brothers Liam and Carl. However, Carl is gone most of the year at military school and Lip was residing at the college dorms, well, formerly. She sympathized with Lip but right now she had her own shit to deal with.

Not only was she running Patsy’s Pies, but she’s in the middle of renovating a recently purchased building. She’s a landlord now, a FUCKING landlord, and she couldn’t be more excited to start this new chapter of her life. She tried not to stick her nose in her siblings’ business, they’d have to figure everything out on their own, just like she did.

On the other hand, her maternal instincts are going off like crazy about this thing going on between Ian and Lip. Sure, those two argue and fight from time to time, however, there’s a noticeable tension in the air whenever they’re in the same room. Something happened, and it’s affecting their relationship. It was even MORE frustrating that neither one of her brothers wanted to discuss it, since when did they keep secrets from each other? At least, secrets that Fiona didn’t already know.

“Lip?” Fiona knocked on the door and waited.

No answer.

“LIP?!” she knocked louder.

No answer.

‘Fuck, this kid better not be masturbating’, she thought to herself. Fiona gripped the door handle and pushed the door open. Much to her relief, she saw Lip laying down in bed with his headphones on.

Lip had his eyes closed, both hands folded underneath his head. He tapped his left foot and moved it from side to side as he listened to music.

Fiona picked up a t-shirt from the floor, balled it up, and threw it at her brother’s face.

“WHAT THE-?!” the blonde twitched and flailed about.

The eldest Gallagher cackled with laughter. “HAHAHA!!!”

Lip threw the t-shirt on the floor and sat up. He jerked the headphones out of his ears and glared at Fiona, “The fuck is your problem?!”

The red face and embarrassment made Fiona howl even louder. She clung to the door frame for support, her insides hurting from all the laughing. “S-sorry, I knocked first!”

“Sorry my ass.” Lip grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his sister’s face.

Fiona tried to block the pillow but was too slow. The soft object slammed into her face with a soft thud before sliding off onto the floor. Her laughter died down to a giggle and Fiona tried to adjust her messy hair, “Lucky shot.”

“Fuck off,” Lip grumbled.

“Holy shit, you’re grumpy when you’re sober,” Fiona noted. She’d been forcing Lip to stay sober during work hours and recently took the liberty of hiding MOST of the beer in her bedroom. Of course, Lip could easily walk down to the nearest gas station and purchase his own alcohol but as of late, he seems to avoid going out altogether.

Lip scowled at the remark and he narrowed his eyes on his older sister. “What do you want?”

Fiona wiped tears from her eyes, and she stared at Lip, her tone taking on a more serious note. “Ian is missing. Hasn’t been to work in a week and nobody has heard from him.”

“Oh…” Lip’s glare faded away and he looked down at the floor, offering up a shrug. “You know this isn’t the first time he’s done this. He’s probably at Trevor’s house and, I don’t know, maybe he’s depressed again?”

“If Ian IS in trouble, don’t you think Trevor woulda called me by now?”

“What if Ian ISN’T in trouble? Maybe he’s sick of his job and needs a vacation,” countered Lip.

Fiona snapped her eyes, “Lip you know Ian LOVES his job. He worked so hard to keep his EMT position, I don’t think he’d causally throw it away unless….”

Both siblings meet each other’s gaze.

Worst case scenario, Ian has a manic episode and does something incredibly senseless and dangerous.

“I’ll make some calls,” Lip offered.

“Okay, I’m heading over to my place. I’ll ask the tenants if they’ve seen a crazy ginger around town.” Fiona left and went downstairs.

“Fucking Ian…” Lip had gone a week without thinking about his brother and now, his mind flooded with all sorts of images – some more appropriate then others. He flopped down on his back and sighed loudly, “What the hell are you doing out there kid?”

Music blares from Lip’s headphones but he doesn’t bother to put them back on. After some deliberation, Lip reached inside his trunks and pulled out his cell phone. He entered the passcode and dialed up Ian’s number. He held his phone against his ear and listened to it ring a few times.

The line clicked and Ian’s voicemail came on: “Ian Gallagher here, I’m currently fucking or sucking cock, take your pick and leave message.”

“Hah!” Lip chuckled in amusement, that was the first time he heard Ian’s voicemail recording. ‘Dork, could you be any gayer?’ he thought to himself. When the recording beeped, Lip cleared his throat with a cough. “Ian, hey, it’s Lip… Look, back at the diner, both of us said some things we didn’t mean but that doesn’t mean you gotta disappear and sulk around like a child! Could you act like your age and give us a call? Doesn’t have to be me, you can call Fiona or Debs, or leave a message with Liam. Just… let us know you’re alive and safe, that’s all I’m asking.”

The recording beeped again, and a series of automated instructions followed. Lip ended the call and put his cell away. He stared at the ceiling and remained in bed for most of the evening.

Saturday.

Sunday.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

Thursday.

Friday.

Another week and still no word from Ian Gallagher.

Everybody is worried and Fiona struggled with the decision to go the cops; she didn’t exactly have good rapport with Chicago law enforcement.

Debbie stopped at Trevor’s house 3 times but every time she showed up the house was empty. If Franny wasn’t with her, she’d break into the house and inspect it herself.

Liam suggested they hang up missing person posters, but Lip told him to hold off on it.

Call it intuition, or sibling instincts, but Lip firmly believed Ian was in the area. He reassured his sisters, and brother, that he’ll go out and look for the redhead – he has a few spots in mind.

Fiona agreed to let Lip take a day off, giving him adequate time to search the city.

Naturally, the first stop is Trevor’s house. Lip knocked and waited patiently.

No answer.

Lip pressed an ear against the door and held his breathe. Minutes pass, and he doesn’t detect any movement or noise. He had a feeling Ian wasn’t here and promptly left the area.

The blonde walked 8 blocks before arriving at Trevor’s workplace, at least, he thought this was the right building. He stood outside in the parking lot and smoked a cigarette, while watching people enter and leave. Most of them are teenagers, with unusual haircuts and clothing style; he couldn’t tell if he was looking at a guy or a girl.

One feminine looking guy walked out of the side door with his friends. He was dawning rainbow colored dreadlocks and a pink shirt labeled ‘Gay Pride’ on the front; there’s a unicorn on the back giving the peace sign.

“Yeah, this is the place.” Lip snuffed his cigarette out on the pavement and walked over to the front entrance. He entered the building and walked around, glancing at the colorful décor inside. It seemed more like a hangout spot and less of a professional work space.

“Lip?”

Recognizing the voice, Lip looked over to his right and spotted a familiar voice.

Trevor was at his desk, pen in hand and coffee in the other. “What are you doing here?”

There’s underlining animosity in Trevor’s voice and Lip doesn’t miss it. He took a few cautious steps forward. “Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt your work-”

“Spit it out Gallagher, I don’t have all day,” Trevor interrupted.

“Right.” Lip kept his hands in his pockets and kept his temper in check. “Is Ian at your place?”

Trevor scoffed and snapped his eyes, “Oh is that ALL you came here for?”

Lip furrowed his eyebrows and frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”

“Mmm…. How can I put this politely?” Trevor tapped the pen against his chin, looking up thoughtfully. Then he turned his brown eyes on Lip and spoke in an icy monotone, “Go fuck yourself.”

“What?” Lip could feel his hands tightening up into fists.

“You heard me.” Trevor looked back down at the paperwork he was filling out and resumed working.

‘This fucking prick…’ Lip swallowed thickly and tried to relax. “I get it… You’re still pissed off about the barbecue thing.”

Trevor ignored the other male.

“I was drunk, okay? Fucking sue me, I didn’t mean anything I said,” Lip insisted.

Without looking up, Trevor spoke: “Having him here is like watching your own personal freakshow.”

Lip shrank back, the words felt like a gut punch and it made his stomach hurt. Trevor wasn’t going to help him, not unless he patched things up between them. He inhaled a deep breath and exhaled, “Okay. You have every right to be mad at me, I was – AM, a piece of shit and sorry ass excuse for a human being.”

Trevor looked up from his work and stared at Lip with a blank expression.

“The truth is…. I was having a bad fucking day, actually, a bad month… It’s not an excuse to be an asshole and I’m sorry I took my frustration out on you. I was just so, fucking, MAD at myself and I wanted everyone to feel bad about themselves like I did.”

“Hm.” Trevor set the pen down and took a drink of lukewarm coffee. He set the mug down, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his seat. “Why were you mad at yourself in the first place?”

Lip stared into Trevor’s curious brown hues and murmured quietly, “I got kicked out of college and I missed an important meeting to advocate for my reinstatement as a student.” That was kind of true – it wasn’t the DIRECT cause of his angry outburst but one of many factors.

For a long time, Trevor doesn’t speak. He stares at Lip’s face, taking every word into consideration.

The taller male shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next, growing antsy as he waited for a response.

“Well….” Trevor sighed, “Against my better judgement, apology accepted.”

Lip was relieved and the tension left his body.

Picking up his pen, Trevor began filling out another form for emergency housing regarding another runaway teenager in his care. “Ian and I broke up a couple weeks ago, I haven’t seen him since and I blocked his phone number.”

“WHAT?!” Lip’s mouth dropped open.

Trevor looked up and his eyes widened, he was taken aback by Lip’s reaction to the news. “He didn’t tell you?”

“No! He didn’t…. mention it to anyone. He’s been missing for a few weeks and we’re all worried…. We thought he was with you…” Lip chewed on his inner cheekbone and he dared himself to make eye-contact, the question accidentally slipping out of his mouth: “Why’d you guys break up?”

“He cheated on me…. again.” Trevor said bitterly.

“Did he say with who?” Lip blurted out.

“No?” Trevor glowered, “Why the hell would I want to know WHO? The fact of the matter is he cheated on me after we got back together. I was naïve to believe he’d actually changed …” Trevor slapped the pen down against the desk, causing Lip to jump in place. “I hate your brother but that doesn’t mean I don’t care for him. I’ll ask my kids to keep an eye out for him, a lot of them hang out in questionable parts of town. Should anyone find him, I’ll relay the message to Fiona.”

“Thank you,” Lip turned to leave.

“Lip?”

The man halted.

“Was that the only reason you were angry that day? Because you were kind of acting like a jealous prick,” said Trevor.

Lip craned his neck and looked at the brunette, “Maybe I was jealous. My brothers and sisters have someone special in their life and I don’t.” And, without waiting for a response, Lip vacated the building.

It costs Lip a pretty penny to use the subway train but he does so, and it takes almost an hour to get to his next destination.

Exiting the train, Lip moves along the sidewalks and tries to avoid bumping into people. It’s more crowded on the North end of the city and it’s high-class compared to slums back home. Hell, even the air smelled better like he was walking through a mall or something. Lip puffs on a cigarette and looked for a familiar apartment complex. He didn’t know the address exactly… but based on Ian’s recount of his past relationship, he could pinpoint a general location.

Eventually he comes across a brick building, it looked new and an iron gate surrounded the perimeter. He examined the lock on the gate and realized he needed a key to get in, or he could just scale the gate… Fat chance, somebody would call the cops on him in a heartbeat. He decided to wait nearby, and slowly smoked cigarette after cigarette, burning through his new pack.

Almost 2 hours pass, and Lip is down to his last cigarette. He’s convinced he’s at the wrong place and right before he’s about to give up, Lip spots the guy he’s waiting for.

Caleb is unlocking the iron gate when he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. On impulse, he whipped around fast and threw a right hook.

Lip barely dodges the attack in time, and he raised his hands in surrender. “Calm down buddy, I’m Lip Gallagher.”

“Lip Gallagher?” Caleb lowered his hand and relaxed, “Your Ian’s older brother?”

“Yeah, guilty as charged.” Lip feigned a friendly smile but in reality, he wanted to punch this guy’s fucking lights out. He remembered how broken up Ian was when he discovered Caleb was cheating on him, nearly driving the redhead to go off the deep end.

“I don’t believe we’ve formally met,” Caleb held his right hand out.

“You were at my sister's wedding, well, ALMOST wedding until Frank screwed it up.” Lip lowered took the offered hand and shook it. "But we didn't get a chance to meet before everything went to hell." 

“That's right, I sort of remember you, mostly your father though. What can I do you for Lip?” Caleb shifted a duffel bag from his right shoulder to his left.

“Look this is out of the blue but uh, have you seen or heard from Ian?”

“No man, sorry. We haven’t talked after our breakup and I don’t think he really comes to this side of town,” Caleb shrugged.

“Oh, alright. He’s been missing for a few weeks and I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask, ya know?” Lip seemed disappointed.

“Damn, I’m really sorry to hear that. Has your family reported him to the authorities?”

“No, not yet. I think it’s gonna have to come to that though.” Lip pulled his cell phone out, “It’s probably a low possibility but if you happen to see him, can you call me?”

“Sure.” Caleb listed his cell number off.

Lip entered the numbers into his phone and saved it under Caleb’s name. “Sent you a text message” he said, tucking his phone back into his jacket pocket.

“Got it. I’ll save it under my contacts later. Take care of yourself man.” Caleb unlocked the iron gate and pushed it open.

“Thanks, you too.” Lip took off walking and made his way back to the subway station.

Back on the South Side, Lip was strolling through a busy area of town, where most of the restaurants and casinos are located. He cursed under his breath, disappointed by the lack of information on Ian’s whereabouts. He was worried about his little brother’s safety and guilt ate away at his conscious. This was his fault for fighting with Ian and failing to go after him. At the time, he was still mad at the redhead for the bedroom incident, although, it’s not like that was the first time it happened; plenty of girls called out other guy’s names during sex and it never really bothered him before. Those were just one-night stands, quick fucks with no emotional ties.

But Ian? Fuck, there were existing emotions already – he loved the kid, that was his baby brother. Lip helped Fiona raise him and his other siblings, he was supposed to protect Ian and take care of him… Why’d he give into his curiosity? Why couldn’t he just keep his dick in his pants and turn Ian down like a sane fucking person?

He thought back to when he woke up out of a mini drug induced coma. He could have very well died of dehydration if it wasn’t for Ian’s quick thinking. And when Ian discovered Lip had forgotten about their arrangement…. Fuck, it ripped his heart to pieces to see Ian’s hurt expression. That’s why he did it, he loved Ian and didn’t want to see him unhappy ever again.

“How did things get so fucked up?” Lip stopped outside a fancy restaurant and shook his cigarette box, listening to a single cig rattle inside. He has enough change to buy another pack, so he thought, why not? He pulled out his lighter and tucked the cigarette between his lips. Right as he’s about to light, Lip’s gaze wandered over to the glass windows.

There’s a woman and man seated next to the window.

Lip doesn’t know the woman, but he identifies the man immediately.

The cigarette fell from his lips and the blonde rushed over to the double-glass doors, pushing them open and stepping inside the restaurant.

A waiter approached Lip, “Excuse me Sir, do you have a reservation?”

“No, I don’t, but this will only take a second.” Lip maneuvered around the waiter and walked over to the table closest to the window. “Ned?”

An older man with graying hair snapped his attention to Lip and when they made eye-contact, the man gasped.

The woman, appearing a tad younger than the man, glanced up at Lip before turning her attention back to Ned. “Do you know this young man?”

“Y-yes, I mean no! I have no idea who he is,” Ned stammered in a panicked voice. He looked at the woman, then back to Lip, silently pleading with his eyes for Lip to go away.

Lip figured this was a diner date and Ned probably didn’t want someone to out him out as a homosexual. He grinned and slapped a hand to Ned’s shoulder, “Seriously? You don’t remember your son’s birthday party?”

Ned jolted in his chair, looking like one of those cartoon cats clawing at the table for dear life. He blinked rapidly, trying to work out what Lip was getting at. “M-my son? Ah, we’ve celebrated so many birthdays it’s difficult to remember which one…”

“Yeah, it’s been awhile.” Lip shrugged and he looked at the woman, “Hello miss, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Lip Gallagher,” he held out his right hand in greeting. “Ned’s son used to date my older sister, that’s how I know the guy.”

“Oh!” The woman smiled and she shook Lip’s hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Gallagher. I’m Cherise Saddler.”

“Cherise Saddler? As in the Saddler furniture stores?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” Cherise giggled.

“Wow, I’m in the presence of a celebrity. Saddler furniture is the BEST in the whole damn city, pardon my language. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Cherise blushed and she waived her hand with a smile, “Oh you. Such a flatterer.”

“Ahem.” Ned cleared his throat with a cough, “Is there anything I can do for you Lip? We’re in the middle of a lunch date.”

“Ned it’s fine, our food hasn’t arrived yet,” Cherise chimed in.

Lip almost laughed at Ned’s expression, poor guy, it would seem his dinner date was engrossed by the attractive blonde. “I’m sorry for the interruption but I had to ask Ned a question.”

“And what question is that?” groused Ned.

“Have you seen Ian?”

Ned went rigid like a board and his face paled. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, frozen to the point where he couldn’t speak.

“Ian?” Cherise inquired.

“Yeah, let me explain. See Ian is my little brother and he was good friends with Ned’s son, isn’t that right Ned?” Lip watched the elder male.

“Yes, good friends. That’ right…. ah, the kid with red hair. I think I remember him now,” Ned nodded as the fake memories returned. “No, I can’t say I’ve seen him around, it’s been years.”

Unhappy about the news, Lip sighed and nodded once. “Okay well I’ll get out of your hair then. Hey, can you ask your son Jim-” He trailed off and glanced at Cherise, “-uh, Steve if he’s seen Ian around?”

“Steve is out of town right now but when he gets back, I will certainly inquire. Have a nice day Lip,” Ned tried to shoo the younger man away.

“Thanks, appreciate it. You know where to find us Ned,” Lip threw a flirtatious wink at Cherise before walking away. “You two make a cute couple!” he announced.

“Aww, what a charming young man,” Cherise said dreamily.

“…..Yeah, charming,” Ned kept his complaints to himself.

It’s 8:00 p.m. and the Gallagher siblings find themselves lounging about in the living room.

There’s a scary movie playing, a classic 90’s horror film titled ‘Anaconda’.

Lip and Fiona had already seen it, but it was one of their favorites.

Debbie and Liam kept jumping and screaming when the snake appeared on screen.

Franny was too young to comprehend the scary details and she babbled away in her mother’s lap, chewing on a damp washcloth – she was teething and the cold cloth soothed her aching gums.

“Liam pass me another chicken leg,” Lip said.

Liam was too absorbed in the movie to respond.

“Never mind, I’ll get it.” Lip got up from the couch and grabbed the bucket of chicken off the end table. “Asked Trevor and Caleb if they seen Ian, but no luck.”

Fiona looked up from the recliner, “Shit… I guess I’m going to the police department tomorrow to file a missing persons report.”

“Yeah, it’s probably for the best.” Lip took a bite of chicken and chewed away on the salty, crunchy layer. “Also, I had a run-in with Jimmy-Steve’s dad.”

“You did?” Fiona and Debbie said at the same time.

“Did you punch him or something?” Debbie asked.

“No, no! I don’t mean a confrontation. I was gonna have a cigarette break when I saw him inside a restaurant. I went inside and asked him if he’s seen Ian around lately.”

“And?” Fiona sounded hopeful.

“I’m sorry to disappoint but he hasn’t seen Ian in years. He said he’d let us know if he spotted him in town, although, I think he just said that to get me out of there as soon as possible. He was on a lunch date and almost shit his pants when I mentioned Ian.”

Fiona giggled, “I wish I coulda been there to see his face.”

Lip grinned, “I should’ve asked for money instead huh? Buy my silence and what not. I don’t think his date would’ve been too thrilled to know he swings both ways.”

“Coulda, shoulda, woulda,” Debbie took a drink of Mountain Dew. “I’ll go see Ned tomorrow and ask him for cash, that way we’ll have enough money to pay the electricity bill.”

“Atta girl!” Fiona snapped her fingers, “Are you taking notes Liam?”

“Uh huh,” Liam nodded, eyes glued to the snake movie, “Blackmail a guy for money or out his sexuality to his date.”

“Bingo.” Fiona smiled and resumed sipping on a cold beer.

Lip sat back down and munched away on fried chicken.

Out of nowhere the front door flew open and a loud voice bellowed, “I need SHOTS! I gotta get this old man smell off me pronto!”

Everybody, except Liam, looked over to see Kev hauling in 2 big cases of beer.

“Shots? You only got beer,” Lip observed.

Kev kicked the door behind him and walked into the living room. “There’s more to me then meet’s the eye, behold-” He set the cases down on the floor and pulled out 2 pints from his pockets, one was Jack Daniels and the other was Captain.

“Oooh! Gimme the Jack,” Fiona set her plate of food down.

“Jack it up Fi,” Kev tossed the pint over to her.

Fiona caught it and she cracked the pint open, easily slamming down a couple shots of whiskey.

“What about you Lip?” Kev waived the pint of Captain around.

“I’ll just take a beer,” said Lip.

“You got it.” Kev ripped the case open and moved over to the end of the couch. He held one out to Debbie and one to Lip.

“Thanks Kev,” Debbie took a beer. “I take it you had old men feeling you up again at work?”

“Yeah,” Kev sighed, “I mean it’s good money if I let em’…. But they all smell so gross. I hate cinnamon aftershave and grape cigars now.”

Lip took his beer and opened it. “You don’t HAVE to work there you know.”

“I don’t plan to work there forever, gonna quit after the twins get into school.” Kev tapped Liam’s shoulder, “Scoot over.”

Liam got up and popped a squat in front of the T.V., just as the giant anaconda attacked Ice Cube.

“Thanks squirt,” Kev sat down between Lip and Debbie. He opened his pint and took 3 big shots, exhaling a satisfied sigh afterwards.

“Ew, you DO smell like grape cigars” Debbie noted.

“Right? And sometimes they rub their white stubbly faces against my stomach, ugh!” Kev shuddered.

“You’re not having any bi-sexual fantasies, are you?” Lip teased.

“No, not at all.” Kev shook his head, “Been down that road before and it’s been established, I’m as straight as they get.”

“Huh, that’s right. I remember Ian talking about the time you approached him with all those weird questions.” Lip shacked half of his beverage.

“Haha, yeah I think I made him really uncomfortable.” Kev chuckled and suddenly, he paused. “Speaking of Ian, what’s his deal anyway?”

“Huh?” Everybody, except Liam, stared at Kev.

“He’s been at Fairy Tales almost every single night, and he’s hanging out with the creepy bar owner, Henry MacDonald.” Kev shook his head in disgust, “That guy tried to elicit sex from me in exchange for a raise. I told him I’d think about it, so he wouldn’t fire me. Thank God he’s into younger men, he hasn’t bothered me since.”

Lip, Fiona and Debbie are stunned into silence.

Kev quietly sipped on his pint, taking several seconds to notice the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces. “What?”

Fiona jumped up from her seat, “Ian has been MISSING for over 2 weeks!”

“He has?” Kev blinked innocently and looked around the room. “Well nobody told me!!!!”

Lip put his beer and chicken down before standing up. “Was he there when your shift ended?”

Kev nodded, “Yeah. Him and the owner usually stay till closing time.”

Mirroring her brother, Fiona set everything down and grabbed her zip-up sweater from the back of the recliner.

“Hey I’m going too!” Debbie wrapped her arms around Franny and stood up.

“Debs, you can’t take a toddler into a bar,” stated Fiona.

“She’s right, they won’t let you in if they see Franny, no matter how adorable she is” Kev said.

“Shit.” Debbie looked down at her daughter.

“It’s okay Debs, me and Fiona got it handled.” Lip walked over to the coat rack near the window and tugged his jacket off the hook.

Debbie got an idea. She looked a Kev and smiled excitedly, “Kev guess what?”

“Hmm? What?” Kev looked at the redhead.

“There’s pot brownies in the kitchen! They’re in the microwave, didn’t want Liam or Franny to get into them.”

“Pot brownies, really?!” Kev practically jumped off the couch and rushed into the kitchen.

“Liam take Franny-” Debbie knelt and pushed her daughter into Liam’s arms.

Liam didn’t protest. Once Franny was seated in his lap, he secured his arms around her and continued to watch the movie.

“Be good for uncle Liam and uncle Kev~” Debbie cooed. She turned around and sprinted to the door, “Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

Lip smirked and Fiona giggled.

All three siblings disappear out the front door.

“Hey…. There’s no brownies in the microwave-” Kev heard the living room door slam shut. He closed the microwave and wandered back into the living room area. When he saw it was empty, minus Liam and Franny, he raced over to the window. He pushed the curtain aside and watched Fiona’s vehicle speed away down the street. “Fuck...” He let go of the curtain, “She’s good.” Kev decided to sprawl out on the couch, and he switched over to beer instead of rum.

“What are we watching?”

Liam didn’t answer.

“Ooooh, Anaconda. Great choice! This one used to give me nightmares as a kid.” Kev mentioned.

“SHHH!” Liam said.

“Sheesh, okay, okay. I’ll zip my lips.” Kev made a motion like he was zipping his mouth shut. He reached over the arm of the couch and dipped his hand into a bucket of chicken. He pulled out a thigh and munched away on the delicious salty flesh.


End file.
